Rowan University has begun construction on a new accessibility ramp in the Chamberlain Student Center pit, a project aimed at improving mobility in one of the campus’s busiest gathering spaces. 

“We wanted to make sure that all of our spaces in the building are as accessible as possible,” said Joseph Lizza, the senior director of student center and campus activities. “It was both for the students and our professional staff in the building.” 

The ramp is expected to be completed in three to four weeks. 

“There’s some permitting that has to get done,” said Lizza. “Because we need inspectors to come out from the state to inspect the ramp in different phases, it slows down the progress.”

What was used before were two old and mechanically failing elevators. One was for supplies to get down into the pit, the other was for passenger use, which was older and had to constantly be fixed. 

The planning for the ramp started around two years ago. However, the ramp was not approved in the last budget cycle, but it would eventually get approved in July 2025. 

The ramp will have a granite finish to it to ensure that it’ll blend in with the rest of the pit. 

Certain requirements for the ramp need to be met, such as the radius of turning, the width, and the incline.

“We are really mindful of what projects can benefit the students the most,” said Lizza. “The student center does a lot of projects that students don’t see because we need to keep our building running.” 

For the project to be approved, an architect who works with the university must first design it. After the design is completed, the plans are sent to the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) in Trenton for review. Once approved, the project is then sent to a general contractor.

Director of Planning and Design Service Alexis Breining stated that the review and approval process is what tends to cause delays.

“The biggest waiting game in what we do is sending our plans to the state to be reviewed and approved,” said Breining. “That’s why it may seem it takes a long time to get things moving, but there’s a lot of steps in between before we can just build a ramp.” 

The ramp is going to be larger than initially intended and might take away some seating and space. 

Before last year, there was a coffee shop in the pit that was eventually removed, which opened up a lot of space. 

“It will impact in some capacity, but events should still be able to happen,” said Lizza. “We think that the cost of losing some space is that the benefits outweigh the negative side of things.”

John Woodruff, the director of the Academic Success Center & Disability Resources, says they’re always looking for ways to make the experience more accessible. 

“We’re always looking to make the experience more accessible,” said Woodruff. “If you look at it like a universal design, even like ramps and automatic doors to buildings, they can help individuals with disabilities, but also someone who has their hands full.”