Photo Courtesy Jenn Bloom ’24
Note: We realize that the Cro renovation plans are preliminary and constantly changing. This article was last updated on Friday, Dec. 9, so it does not reflect any changes thereafter.
In 2018, Connecticut College created a 20-year Campus Master Plan including proposals for renovations to nearly every part of campus that will take place through 2038. As stated in the plan, the central goals are to “reveal the life of the campus – both academic and social,” “rationalize campus systems and organization,” “renew and reinvest in existing campus environment,” “promote accessibility and diversity,” “embody sustainability best practices,” and “celebrate Conn’s setting.” This summer, the renovation of the College Center at Crozier-Williams will begin with the transformation of Cro Boulevard into a pedestrian walkway and the creation of a cohesive lawn between Cro and Harris, making it easier to walk from one building to the other. As a result of this campus landscaping, all of the parking spaces on Cro Boulevard and in front of Harris will be removed. According to the Campus Master Plan, “In its current condition, Crozier Boulevard creates a barrier to comfortable pedestrian circulation within the most active area of the campus core. By relocating parking to perimeter lots along the proposed campus loop road, vehicular traffic along Crozier Boulevard can be limited to service and emergency vehicles.”
The College originally intended to make up for this lost parking space by creating a fourth major parking lot right in front of Zachs Hillel House, eliminating the majority of its green space. North Lot is at the northernmost part of campus and South Lot is at the southernmost part of campus. If the renovation plan intended to create an East Lot on the former Zachs Hillel House green, the house would become the easternmost part of campus, excluding it from the campus community. Upon hearing about these preliminary renovation plans, we (the CC Hillel Board) voiced our concerns at the various open forums that took place and gathered support from the Conn community through an online survey. We are grateful that the College has been receptive and is now considering alternatives to placing a major parking lot in front of Zachs Hillel House. It sounds like the replacement of our green space with at least some parking is inevitable; but, we might gain additional green space directly in front of Zachs Hillel House. According to the most recent email from the Office of Finance and Administration, “The project team is now rethinking the plan in order to make the lot smaller by adding parking to another area of campus, to maintain green space in front of Zachs Hillel House, and, finally, to shift the loop road further to the west so that the road is positioned further away from the building.” While we are glad that the College has responded to our concerns, we believe that it was an oversight to even consider putting a large parking lot in front of Zachs Hillel House in the first place. This initial idea sent the message that our sole safe haven belongs on the “perimeter” of campus as a mere extension of campus rather than a part of it.
The OFA’s email also addressed the concerns with the wording of their previous email and its implications regarding “Zachs Hillel House’s position on campus.” The email was not apologetic for the stress caused in the Conn Jewish community after seeing the word “perimeter” when referring to Zachs Hillel House; it simply justified this message by saying that the previous email “did not make clear an important principle.” The OFA claims that the renovation plan actually intended to connect Zachs Hillel House with the rest of the campus community and add it to the new campus loop. We feel that this justification does not excuse the preliminary idea to further isolate Zachs Hillel House and destroy some of its valuable green space.
As the current Vice President, Communications Chair, and Co-President of the Conn Coll Hillel Executive Board, respectively, we deeply value the green space in front of Zachs Hillel House and the various opportunities that it provides for the community. One of Hillel’s largest events of the year is our annual Welcome Picnic Shabbat, which takes place on the Hillel green during the first week of the fall semester. This first event is vital to introducing the campus community to our weekly Shabbat dinner ritual and increasing our club membership. Soon after, we celebrate Sukkot, where we decorate the sukkah outside and enjoy meals and other gatherings in the Sukkah on the green. The loss of the green space would not solely affect our programming and events; the aesthetic of Zachs Hillel House would drastically be changed into something far less beautiful, welcoming, and inviting. We ask that, if the current green space is removed, the additional green space built right in front of Zachs Hillel House is still large enough to host events with around 50 people.
Even if there will be a pedestrian walkway to Zachs Hillel House, many of us will not feel comfortable walking to and from nighttime events while adjacent to a busy parking lot with cars coming in and out. Giselle Hunter-Korn ‘26 expressed her concern: “Because of the lack of common rooms, Hillel is used by students as a gathering place both for religious and non-religious activities. Conn is already not a very accessible school and the lack of easy walking access to Hillel poses an accessibility issue and a safety issue especially at night.” With the loss of most common rooms as well as most game rooms on campus, the game room in the basement of Zachs Hillel House has become one of the only open areas for students to hang out. Further isolating Zachs Hillel House from the main campus would do an incredible disservice to Conn social life given the severe limitations that have taken place since Covid-19. In a survey taken last week of 116 people, 88.5% of respondents expressed having an issue with the lack of safe walkways to Zachs Hillel House and 100% supported the creation of accessible walkways to Zachs Hillel House, which the proposed plan should accomplish.
Zachs Hillel House is a foundational part of Jewish life at Conn. The consideration of pushing this valuable student life space outside of the campus vicinity feels reminiscent of past marginalization of Jews. Jonathan Stanley ‘22, Israel Programming Chair on the CC Hillel Board, wrote, “This plan would relegate Hillel to the extreme outskirts of campus and work to marginalize the Jewish community on campus, which is especially concerning in a time of rising antisemitism.” The Conn Coll Hillel Board works tirelessly to ensure that everyone feels comfortable and connected as a community. For many of us, Zachs Hillel House is “a home away from home,” and we would hate for it to be further isolated from the greater Conn community.
We ask the College to continue considering alternatives to building a parking lot in front of Zachs Hillel House. Hillel member Ellie Hollo ‘23 shared, “I’m concerned about the loss of an ecologically and socially important green space in front of Hillel. These woods are filled with native species that support wildlife, and I don’t understand why the college wants to turn that into a parking lot. The areas adjacent to North Lot are filled with invasive plants that harm the environment; why not expand North Lot all the way to Benham Ave and remove those invasives at the same time?” It would not make sense to destroy valuable green space while keeping the invasive plants that surround North Lot. The College recently cut down trees by the waterfront because they were invasive, so this same logic should inform the parking lot decision. Faculty members have also expressed their discontent with the idea of having to park on the perimeters of campus, as faculty parking on Cro Boulevard will be removed. “Faculty need places to park, and I’m not thrilled about having to park out on the perimeter… but I also don’t want the green in front of Zachs Hillel House to turn into a faculty/staff parking lot. (Also – I have enough trouble as it is finding Zachs Hillel House right now),” wrote Professor Michael Weinstein.
In our survey of 116 Conn students, faculty, staff, and alumni, 96.6% of respondents indicated concerns about a major parking lot being constructed and replacing the green in front of Zachs Hillel House. We hope the voices of the Conn community continue to be valued and consulted as these renovation plans develop.
