Farmingdale State University of New York, a public coeducational college of almost 6,000 students, broke ground in May on a new residence hall that will open in September of 2005. The new building, built for the college's increasing residence population, was designed by architects Urbahn Associates of New York City. It will be built by Kokolakis Contracting of Rocky Point. The residence hall is the first new living facility to be built on the Farmingdale campus in 30 years. The new dorm will offer suite living for students to include wireless technology, floor lounges, laundry rooms, food preparation areas, and a landscaped courtyard, with nearby athletic fields, new walkways and new parking.

President of Farmingdale State, Dr. Jonathan Gibralter said, "While Farmingdale State continues to grow in enrollment beyond the traditional boundaries of Long Island, it is important that we offer housing that is state-of-the-art, environmentally efficient and conducive to a successful academic career."

The new dorm is part of a five year campus improvement and expansion program that will also include a state-of-the-art 1,000 seat baseball stadium, a new student union building and improved academic facilities. The $100 million campus expansion is an effort to keep up with the growth that Farmingdale State has been experiencing over the last few years. Applications for the Fall 2004 are up more than 10 percent. Combine that with a 13 percent increase in applications since the Fall 2001, and Farmingdale State is one of the fastest growing schools in the SUNY system. Growth is coming from demand for such programs as nursing, business administration and the newly approved bioscience program. Two other new programs will add to the demand for admission to Farmingdale State - Technology Studies and a Sports Management track within the School of Business.

Ward Hall, the first dorm built on the campus, was started in 1914, two years after Farmingdale was founded as the first public college on Long Island. It served as a residence hall from 1916 until around 1956. Another early structure, Mott House served as a women's dormitory for many years, but is no longer in existence. For photos of various modes of campus housing go to http:www.farmingdale.edu/library/archives/campusbldgs.html.