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Planning Commission approves Syracuse University Waverly and Comstock residence halls
Summary
The Syracuse Planning Commission approved subdivisions and project plan reviews for two new Syracuse University residence halls—Waverly and Comstock—after presentations by university planners and architects and brief public comment in favor.
The Syracuse Planning Commission approved Syracuse University’s paired Waverly and Comstock residence-hall projects following a public hearing and staff review.
Jennifer Bybee, Assistant Director for Campus Planning for Syracuse University, said the two projects replace demolished dormitories and a parking garage with modern student housing, dining and social spaces. The projects together will provide roughly 1,300 beds split across the Waverly building (about 720 beds) and the Comstock building (about 580 beds), Bybee said. She said the university is not increasing enrollment or changing its two-year residence requirement as part of the project; instead the new buildings will “replace housing that was functionally obsolete” and provide swing space to allow renovation of older residence halls.
Architect Tom Kirk of Boland Zwinski Jackson Architects described massing and material strategies, noting the designs seek to step down heights near the Walnut Hill Historic District and use materials sympathetic to adjacent campus buildings. Kirk said the Waverly site is about 2 acres and the Comstock site about 1.5 acres; Waverly includes a dining facility and larger footprint, while Comstock will reuse an existing fire lane/loading area and sit adjacent to Booth Hall.
Resident and architect Rex Jardine spoke in favor, saying the scale and materials were appropriate and arguing university investment in housing has local economic effects. City staff noted they had provided departmental comments after the March 24 environmental review and that the university had submitted written responses; staff reported they were satisfied to move ahead with conditions tied to continuing coordination as the projects move toward building permits.
The commission approved the re-subdivision and project plan review for Waverly (R-2506; Z-2887) and the re-subdivision and project plan review for Comstock (R-2507; Z-2888), each with the standard general conditions and additional stipulations that subdivision filings be recorded with the County Clerk and that the applicant continue to respond to outstanding staff comments as the projects proceed to permitting.
The approvals followed a SEQR negative declaration issued at the March 24 hearing; commissioners said departmental comments received since then were expected and had been addressed in the university’s responses. University representatives said they are aiming for a Fall 2027 opening for the new halls, contingent on advancing design and permitting.
The projects now move to implementation steps tied to building permits, stormwater and other technical reviews the university and its consultants will continue to coordinate with city departments on.
