This past summer, Le Moyne College purchased twenty houses on Audubon Parkway behind the bookstore. The houses were purchased from Darren Dibiase, a Le Moyne alum, who owns many properties in the Syracuse area. 

“This additional housing will allow us to support students who want an off-campus feel within the housing options we offer,” says Associate Provost Shaun Crisler. “As we continue the four-year living on-campus requirement, we have used student feedback to expand our options. The homes will be considered equivalent to on-campus housing and will fulfill the on-campus housing requirements.” 

Purchased through a 501(c)(3) (not-for-profit documentation which allows tax exemptions,) along with financing assistance from Dibiase, the houses serve the broader mission of the Le Moyne Area Neighborhood Development Strategy (LANDS). To re-energize the Salt Springs neighborhood, Le Moyne and other institutions are investing in the area to make it safer and more stable. 

Each house will be put in the housing lottery next year except a dentist’s office, which will be converted into additional office spaces for employees. In the coming months, Le Moyne will be making renovations to the houses, including improving roofs, fixing chimneys, and replacing doors with new locks. There is currently no plan for Le Moyne to purchase more houses. 

According to Joe Grasso, Vice President for Finance and Administration, “Le Moyne’s Campus Life Team is currently reviewing all of the previous lease agreements, occupancy numbers, and scheduled repairs to identify the homes that will be entered into the lottery. A communication will go out before the end of September to give the students in the recently purchased homes a sense of some of the changes to come. The students in these homes will be expected to participate in the lottery process to secure housing for next academic year.” 

Students seem to welcome the new addition to campus. With Le Moyne recently going Division I and in anticipation of a major increase in students this expansion is seen as a good way to accommodate these changes. Students also agree that the new housing will allow students an off-campus feel and room for more independence while still honoring Le Moyne’s four-year housing requirement. 

Although most are optimistic about the acquisition, others are concerned with the distance from the houses to the academic buildings. Currently, there is no real clear way to get from Audubon Pkwy to the rest of campus. Others feel as though the money should have been spent elsewhere, for more parking lots for commuters or a better investment in dining options. 

To the majority, the new housing options seem like a welcome change to campus as the campus community continues to grow and flourish, with students anticipating next year’s lottery to find out more about the new waters Le Moyne’s dolphins will be swimming in.