Sep 1, 2003 -- A flurry of renovations and construction projects was the order of business this summer, as Yeshiva University upgraded facilities and spruced up grounds for students’ return to both the Wilf and Midtown campuses this fall. “We are always looking for ways to improve the quality of life and environment for students” said Jeffrey Rosengarten, director of supporting services administration. Additional floors, each at approximately 10,000 squarefeet, are scheduled for further development. Midtown Campus The new Norman F. Levy Lobby at Stern College for Women and Sy Syms School of Business at 215 Lexington Avenue is set for completion Sept. 10. The 2,500 square-foot lobby is open and airy, and includes a glass-enclosed area that provides additional seminar and conference space, as well as a comfortable area for students to meet. The lobby’s terrazzo flooring and stone walls replicate Jerusalem stone. The space sports a modern look—a challenge in converting an existing office building into a college and administrative building. Ascending from the lobby, escalators take students and faculty up to floors two and three, which house multimedia seminar rooms, classrooms, and faculty and administrative offices, including admissions and finance. Spacious studio and gallery rooms for SCW’s art department comprise the entire eighth floor. Also planned is a “trendy,” 160-seat food court and lounge on the lower level, with final construction due for fall 2004. The building’s air-conditioning system was upgraded, and a new sprinkler system was installed. “The continuing construction at 215 Lexington Avenue, particularly the impressive Norman F. Levy Lobby and the studio art spaces on the eighth floor, fulfills a dream—to match the quality of our facilities to the quality of our education,” said Karen Bacon, PhD, Dr. Monique C. Katz Dean of SCW. YU implemented a Midtown Campus expansion plan in 1994 that prompted acquisition of real estate, including the former Cineplex Odeon movie theater on East 34th Street (now the Geraldine Schottenstein Cultural Center), 215 Lexington Avenue, the 36th Street Residence Hall, the Jerome and Geraldine Schottenstein Residence Hall at 121 East 29th Street, and 150 East 35th Street, a building whose use has not yet been determined. The University is also negotiating to purchase 251 Lexington Avenue, which would establish a contiguous block of SCW and SSSB campus buildings on Lexington Avenue. The 36th Street Residence Hall opened in 2001 after renovations, and houses 100 students. The front and back lounges were redecorated through gifts from Marjorie Diener Blenden and Anne and Isidore Falk, respectively. Wilf Campus Students will notice an expanded and beautified plaza adjacent to the Herbert and Florence Tenzer Garden and an enhanced Danciger Quadrangle. Situated between Belfer Hall and the Leah and Joseph Ruben Residence Hall, Tenzer Garden’s entrance will be expanded and repaved for better access and more space for relaxation. A signature sculpture recognizing the generosity and commitment of the Wilf family was erected on Danciger Quadrangle, and new seating was added to complete the Quadrangle’s overall beautifi- cation. Also as part of the University’s summer projects, vacant buildings on 185th Street and at Washington Terrace were razed for safety reasons and possible future capital projects. Structural renovations to the Parking Area E garage on Amsterdam Avenue will be completed in September. Brookdale Campus— Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law Significant renovations at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law’s building at 55 Fifth Avenue are scheduled for completion this summer. The newly expanded lobby houses a seminar room and the new Jacob Burns Moot Court Room. The Dr. Rebecca and Lillian Chutick Law Library was also redesigned to include wood paneling, vaulted ceilings, and showcases to display faculty publications. The lobby will be officially unveiled Sept. 24.