UConn's Next Generation Hall: Expensive, High Tech, Innovative and a Whole Lot of Comfy

STORRS, CT — Margaret Kuhn was carrying a couple of boxes up the stairs at the University of Connecticut’s Next Generation Hall on Wednesday morning.

The massive new dorm complex wasn’t even officially open — that would be reserved for a ceremony a few moments later featuring Gov. Dannel Malloy himself — but Kuhn, an Old Lyme resident, secured an early arrival status for her daughter, Nancy, to get ahead of the bulk of students descending on the campus Friday.

So she was very relaxed as her freshman daughter was unloading and even had time for a joke.

“Oh, she is spoiled already,” Kuhn said. “This dorm is nice.”

That is just the reaction UConn President Susan Herbst was looking for. In taking the podium for the opening ceremony. Herbst called the 212,000-square-foot residential facility an “initiative.”

“This place is for the students,” she said.

Malloy called the dorm an “investment,” not only because of a $105 million price tag and bonding commitment as the first building under the Next Generation UConn capital program but because of a bold approach its residents will toward learning.

Here are some fact about Next Generation Hall:

• The dorm is in the north campus area, just above the alumni center and the field hockey-lacrosse and track complex.
• The dorm is designed for students, primarily freshmen and sophomores, in STEM programs — Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
• The dorm’s 212,000 square feet is housing 727 students in eight specialized “living and learning communities.”
• Next Gen Hall features an “innovation zone” with a 3-D printer and other resources for shared study and projects, community spaces and a computer lab.
• Some upper classmen are in the learning communities.
• Construction started in November 2014 and cost $79 million. Furnishings and other features brought the entire budget to $105 million.

Kuhn took in the irony of her situation. She has another daughter, Kaete, who transferred to UConn as a junior. She is a short distance away on North campus in “The Jungle” a cluster of older dorms known for its tiny rooms.

Kuhn was trying to be a diplomatic mom, but just kind of laughed it off.

“Nancy just applied here and was able to get in,” she said. “That’s how I leave it. She is lucky.”

That’s essentially how Cassandra Cavallaro and Lana Delasanta felt about the place. The best friends from North Smithfield, RI, were able to get singel rooms at Next Gen Hall.

“This is the best place I have ever seen,” Cavallaro said as she gave an impromptu room tour. It has space, it is comfortable and the views are great.”

Indeed, corner study lounges offer views like the athletic complex.

“We are really happy to be in here,” Delasanta said.

During the opening ceremony, UConn student Britney Reynolds spoke about being attracted to a learning community. State Rep. Gregg Haddad, D-Mansfield, said he kind-of, sort-of had a learning group when he was at UConn a couple of decades ago, but nothing like Next Gen.

“The physics homework was hard and it is nice to have people around you who are like-minded academically,” he said. “But we did not have a facility like this.”

State Rep. Tim Ackert, R-Coventry, called Next Gen the culmination of “a vision.”

Malloy was quick to get a visual in the form of a tour and he wound up surprising one student who, it turns out, had a connection with him.

“Hi,” the governor said to a amazed Sophia Russell. Russell paused for a moment in semi-shock and then said hello back.

It turns out, Russell was a graduate of Westhill High School in Stamford, where Malloy was part of the first graduating class in 1972.

“The Hill!” Malloy said as Russell and her parents just smiled.

Russell said she was thrilled the guv dropped in and also thrilled be part of the high-tech digs.

Cavallaro said the giveaway to the luxury was the floor.

“I expected tile,” she said. “This looks like wood. I’m not sure if it is real wood but it looks nice. Look, I even have closet space and a big desk.”

She and Delasanta left the building for a bit for a the trip to the bookstore. She said they would be back to fully settle in.

And take it all in.

“This is going to be a nice year,” she said.

There was nothing else to say. That summed up the consensus.