After purchasing the property for $15 million in March 2025, Cornell opened its doors to a new dorm at 301 College Ave. in August. Forty-three students moved into the building, which remains partially occupied as renovations to the building continue, Housing and Residential Life wrote to The Sun.
The building offers different styles of rooms, ranging from studios to six-bedroom suites. The suites consist of single bedrooms and communal kitchens, living areas and bathrooms. The University expects the building to meet its full capacity of 105 residents by Fall 2027.
Following its opening, the building has also drawn complaints regarding its condition and readiness from a resident and concerns from a South Campus resident advisor.
Eleanor McNamara ’28 chose to live in the new dorm this year, expecting to experience “the upperclassman feel” by living in Collegetown, but upon arrival she found that the building “might be on the more incomplete side.”
When McNamara moved in, she noticed that things were “dirty” and the bathroom had not been cleaned, despite a posted service date that had passed. She also said that her unit’s refrigerator was not working properly.
“A fridge is supposed to be kept at under 40 degrees, and ours right now is at 55, ” McNamara said. “It's borderline kind of dangerous to eat food at that temperature.”
The U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service classifies temperatures from 40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit as the “danger zone” where bacteria grow most rapidly.
She said that her suitemate submitted a service request, and that it was fulfilled a few days later.
In response to concerns about the condition of the building, Housing and Residential Life wrote that “Cornell Facilities and Building Care are addressing resident-identified concerns reported through the established Service Request system, which is used across Cornell to address building and campus needs. Service is ongoing in the new property.”
The purchase of 301 College Ave. marks the University’s fourth Collegetown residence. About six months after its purchase, the property became available as an option in the University’s 2026-2027 student housing selection.
Jason’s Grocery & Deli, which previously operated in the building’s commercial space, closed around the time the property opened to students.
In a statement to The Sun, Housing and Residential Life wrote that the University acquired the dorm “out of foreclosure with the goal of furthering the economic revitalization of Collegetown and addressing growing student housing needs.”
A South Campus resident advisor, who was granted anonymity by The Sun due to contractual obligations, described the building as having opened “a little bit prematurely.”
301 College Ave. currently has one resident RA, leaving the other RAs on South Campus also responsible for responding to calls, according to the RA.
“It’s definitely been difficult to deal with calls there,” the RA said. “They had issues accessing keys, [both] for the master key and for the office.”
They added that, recently, a 301 College Ave. resident was locked out for almost an hour. The building has since solved the keys issue, the RA said.
The RA explained the key-access issues have since been resolved, adding that management has been “conscious so far in the way that they've been addressing” issues. However, they added that the building would benefit from additional support.
“I really like the apartment style of living. I think it was a good idea, and I like my room,” McNamara said. “But I do think [the building is] kind of incomplete. Maybe it was a little rushed.”
According to Housing and Residential Life, the University completed extensive work on 301 College Ave. before opening it up to students in Fall 2026.
“Cornell prioritized a building-wide turnover of the ground and second floors at 301 College Ave., which included new flooring, window coverings, paint and furniture, as well as a new sprinkler and fire alarm system, card access to the building and new locks on all unit and bedroom doors,” Housing and Residential Life wrote to The Sun.
Even with renovations, the building offers less utilities than those provided in other University dorms. Each unit at 301 College Ave. has its own kitchenette and communal living space, but the kitchens do not include stoves.
McNamara shared that she appreciated the large size of the kitchen and her living area, but the lack of a stove limits how effectively residents can utilize the space for cooking.
“There's a kitchen and a living area, but there's no stove, and you have to still be on the meal plan, which is kind of unfortunate,” McNamara said. Since Cornell has no dining halls in Collegetown, McNamara explained that in order for residents to eat, “[they] have to walk down to West [Campus] or Okenshields because [they] can't use the kitchen.”
Cornell Dining’s Terms and Conditions, states that “all undergraduate students living in South Campus housing … are required to enroll in a meal plan.” The Terms and Conditions have not been updated to name 301 College Ave. in their contract, but residents have reported being required to enroll in a meal plan.
McNamara observed that the building’s lobby remains unfinished and that there is not a clear timeline for its completion.
“[It] doesn't even look close to done, so who knows?” McNamara said.
McNamara also said that construction outside of the building has affected her living experience.
“There's also construction going on right outside it, which is really unfortunate,” McNamara said. “[It’s] like six days a week, and it starts at 7:30 [a.m.]. … I feel like I can’t even hang out there during the day because [the construction] is right outside my window.”
According to Housing and Residential Life, the acquisition of 301 College Ave. allowed the University to expand upper-level housing options in Collegetown and provide more students with access to apartment style living.
“This style of community living is appealing to students seeking the benefits of on-campus housing combined with the experience of living in Collegetown," Housing and Residential Life wrote.
Isabella Hanson is a member of the Class of 2027 in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is a senior writer for the news department and was a news editor for the 143rd Editorial Board. She can be reached at ihanson@cornellsun.com.
