After the announced closure of Christie Hall for the 2026–27 academic year, Villa Maria Hall is preparing for an influx of residents with a series of summer renovations
According to Colin Stewart, associate vice president for Student Affairs and dean of students, updates to Villa Maria will be a top priority for Student Affairs this summer.
Changes will include recarpeting, revamping light fixtures, repainting and possibly adding new furniture to the communal spaces. Stewart says that though these updates aren’t “flashy,” they will make a big difference.
Looking forward to the additions, Fr. Nik Guiney, CSC, Villa Maria’s hall director, hopes to see attention paid to the communal spaces, which are popular gathering places for current residents.
“I think common area [renovations] is something [that] I'm excited for,” Guiney said. “What's great about Villa is the big central lobby with all the natural light. So we've been talking about things like making [the doors] tap access, so when the weather's nice, people can go in and out. I want to put string lights up, [and] put a grill out there.”
On March 15, Guiney hosted a hall meeting for residents to describe improvements they would like to see. Their wish list included updates to sink fixtures, repairs to faulty heating systems, removal of built-in desks and closets, recarpeting, repaving the basketball court, and replacing the main lobby TV and broken tabletop games.
Sophomore business major Cooper Hautau is interested in making the space more accessible and enjoyable for future residents.
“I was on crutches for three weeks, and it really sucked,” Hautau said. “So I think a ramp would be nice. And then we really want to utilize that basketball court with the view out there, it's really beautiful.”
Expecting a drastic increase in residents from the current hall population of 38, Guiney is happy to take on the new challenge of a full Villa Maria.
“I keep telling students that what makes Christie Hall special is the people, not the building,” Guiney said. “I think that's what excites me, that we can combine these two communities and create a really awesome and healthy place for our students to feel at home here on campus.”
Nandita Kumar is the Community Engagement Editor for The Beacon. She can be reached at kumarn27@up.edu.
