Maple Street Apartments

Maple Street Apartments was the working name for a residence hall planned to be constructed southeast of Watson Hall. The building was originally expected to be ready for student housing in Fall Term 2007, but the project was abandoned due, in part, to concerns raised by nearby Northfield residents.

Planned design

Plans for the Maple Street Apartments were still being revised as of Summer 2006. The last anounced plan called for the building to house a total of 57 students in 13 suites of 3-5 students each. At least four of the suites were to be handicap accessible. Each suite was to have had its own living room, bathroom and kitchenette. The facility was also expected to include a full kitchen, a large community room, study rooms, a game room and a laundry room. It was also planned to have the building connected directly to Watson Hall through a tunnel and would have been air-conditioned.

Most of the goals of the Maple Street project were achieved in the construction of Cassat and Memorial Halls.

Controversies

Several students and alumni expressed reservations about the building's potential effect on the Japanese Garden, as the initial plans called for nearly all the cedar trees that serve as a natural blind between the garden and the surrounding buildings to be cut down. Revised plans, created after discussion with the Japanese Garden's architect, called for nearly all of these cedar trees to be preserved and the building's location to be moved further south.

Though there were appeared to be no community opposition to the project at a meeting the college held with Northfield residents in January, 2006, a similar meeting in June produced strongly negative comments. The architects revised the plans in an attempt to address these concerns, but neighborhood residents were still very opposed to the project due to the size of the building relative to the property, which would (as stated in a letter from President Oden and Vice-President Fred Rogers '72) "not allow for an appropriate integration into the surrounding neighborhood."

External links

• Construction and Planning Update, Spring 2006
• Carleton News and Notes -A discussion of the effect on the Japanese Garden in item 3:158-173 from the Alumni Chat conference on Caucus (NetID required)
• Carleton News and Notes -Letter from President Oden and VP Rogers about the halt to construction in item 3:177 of Alumni Chat.