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keene state college campus master plan

keene state college campus master plan

Keene State College’s campus master plan is a comprehensive framework for a more sustainable, connected, and student-focused future. Shaped through broad community engagement and grounded in detailed analysis, the plan responds to key challenges—aging infrastructure, shifting student needs, and regional housing pressures—while building on the college’s compact campus form and strong sense of place.

The plan envisions a campus where open spaces and student life converge, anchored by a revitalized Appian Way. This spine becomes a true organizing feature for the college, linking a reimagined public square at the campus heart with a new gateway quad at the west. With vibrant green spaces, safer pedestrian connections, and updated residential neighborhoods, the campus becomes more cohesive and walkable.

Strategic priorities include addressing deferred maintenance in critical buildings, such as the Young Student Center, Redfern Arts Center, and Elliot Center. The plan also proposes phased replacement of the aging Owl’s Nest apartments with modern housing and student services that reinforce the western end of campus. As part of a broader space-rightsizing and sustainability agenda, it also identifies opportunities for real estate divestment and improved space utilization, especially in surplus offices and underused facilities.

Rooted in a vision of long-term financial health, student success, and a vibrant campus experience, the plan positions Keene State for an era of focused investment—one that elevates the daily lives of students while strengthening the college’s ties to the broader Keene community.