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Local Topic Outdated Bradley Dorms

Local Topic Outdated Bradley Dorms

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by: PeoriaIllinoisan 19 OP 
~ 5 mos, 7 days ago   Aug 15, '25 1:58pm  
Outdated Bradley Dorms
 
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I had the pleasure of driving a student home from work to his dorm, and I just had to ask…
 
"Are the dorms as bad as I've heard?"
 
He looks at me a little puzzled and asked what I meant.
 
"Old, outdated, cramped"
 
He thinks for a second and responds, "no, the dorms seem fine to me," then adds after a pause, "BUT, I have the entire room to myself."
 
Judge Shadid, in one of his many interviews after being selected as the new president, remarked on the dorms being a priority.
 
I did some googling and, not surprisingly, this is a fairly common problem. I was under the impression that they would be building new, but it turns out that you can renovate these concrete monstrosities, and at a fraction of the cost. If Bradley has enough rooms to offer singles, then surely they have enough to house the students while they renovate their stock.
 
In other news, the city put down some pea gravel on Main St for what looks like prep work on an overlay. Why couldn't they do that before the students got back? It's better late than never, I suppose, but it's still just a bandaid until the funding for full the overhaul comes through. I wonder what they'll do with the intersection that everyone loves to hate? That might depend on what happens to the Avantis corner.
 
Anyone looking to get into the restaurant business? The empty Fieldhouse space makes Campustown feel so naked!
billybob reacted
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kraziebill 15
~ 5 mos, 7 days ago   Aug 15, '25 2:32pm  
Speaking of pea gravel. I saw a map of the planning sealcoat schedule for this year. WOW no wonder our streets are falling apart. I remember when the city would sealcoat entire neighborhoods each year. Now it's literally a block here and a block there.
 
Wonder how soon before they pay for another full city street scan just so they can see yep, the roads are still falling apart.
PIFox and PeoriaIllinoisan reacted
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tntrecycling 17
~ 5 mos, 7 days ago   Aug 15, '25 3:40pm  
can renovate these concrete monstrosities, and at a fraction of the cost.
 
@PeoriaIllinoisan : Now if they used the teaching quality and us students to help build. Do they still teach carpentry, construction computer wiring and lay out in building. All structures can use these students for free. When will they learn. After college training.
PIFox reacted
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NoTime 3
~ 5 mos, 7 days ago   Aug 15, '25 5:07pm  
From what I can tell, yes, the Bradley dorms are possibly the biggest negative to new students.
 
Bradley doesnt offer any dorm with private or semi private bathrooms, while every other university in the state has those options. Bradley only has the old school shared floor bathrooms in its dorms. And underclassmen are required to stay in a Bradley dorm room unless they join a Greek house or are close enough to live at home.
 
Yeah, that wasn't a problem when I went to college, but it matters to kids now.
PeoriaIllinoisan and billybob reacted
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billybob Online 14
~ 5 mos, 6 days ago   Aug 15, '25 8:19pm  
It is very, very good that President Shadid places the dorm situation as a top priority. Now the challenge begins to figure out where to house the students of a dorm while it is being renovated. The renovations cant be done over a summer. It will take some creative thinking.
PeoriaIllinoisan reacted
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PeoriaChronicle 3
~ 5 mos, 6 days ago   Aug 15, '25 9:22pm  
@billybob :
Is it a top priority? New student housing was part of Bradley's development plan 15 years ago and was supposed to be built at the corner of Bradley Ave and Clarissa (formerly Maplewood). It's still a gravel parking lot with construction materials stored outside. I hear their plan now is to turn it into pickleball courts. Not seeing the priority there, nor the consistency with their development plan....
conrad reacted
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billybob Online 14
~ 5 mos, 6 days ago   Aug 15, '25 10:15pm  
billybob : Is it a top priority? New student housing was part of Bradley's development plan 15 years ago and was supposed to be built at the corner of Bradley Ave and Clarissa (formerly Maplewood). It's still a gravel parking lot with construction materials stored outside. I hear their plan now is to turn it into pickleball courts. Not seeing the priority there, nor the consistency with their development plan....
 
@PeoriaChronicle :
 
I think it is the first time, in a very long while, when a Bradley president has publicly said there was even a problem with the dorms. Though, there is much more work to be done, it is still some kind of progress.
PeoriaIllinoisan reacted
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tntrecycling 17
~ 5 mos, 6 days ago   Aug 16, '25 12:42am  
They must not be teaching well enough to fulfill their promises. When it comes to building projects, where are the students, or is that something they don't teach anymore? Students' carpentry, plumbing, heating cooling, Computer techs, electricians wiring buildings. All should be hands on classrooms. What a way to learn building with hands on learning.
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NoTime 3
~ 5 mos, 6 days ago   Aug 16, '25 2:11pm  
@tntrecycling :
That is an interesting point, since construction management is one of the stronger programs at Bradley, but I never hear much of their involvement on campus building projects.
 
But overall, Bradley's education is very hands on, with more hands on opportunities in undergrad programs than most Universities (both undergrad labs with professors and class projects that work with local businesses.)
PeoriaIllinoisan and billybob reacted
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tntrecycling 17
~ 5 mos, 6 days ago   Aug 16, '25 2:15pm  
@NoTime :
Teach with hands on. Go look at JW.ORG look at building project. Who is used taught and trained.
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PeoriaIllinoisan 19 OP 
~ 4 mos, 1 day ago   Sep 19, '25 10:12pm  
This should get more attention than being buried in the Bradley Scout.
 
Between 10:44 and 11:25 p.m. on Sept. 14, a student showering in Geisert Hall reported seeing a hand with a phone appear under her stall. When she reacted, the suspect fled the bathroom.
 
BUPD was notified at 11:39 and began investigating immediately.
 
Around 1 a.m., another student in Geisert reported a hand with a phone, this time reaching over her stall; the suspect again fled when noticed.
 
BUPD has labeled the ongoing investigation as a top priority.
 
The suspect is reportedly a male with a tan complexion and dark hair.
 
www.bradleyscout.com /news/police-reports -september-19-2025/
billybob and PeoriaChronicle reacted
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mypeez Online 16
~ 4 mos, 1 day ago   Sep 20, '25 4:38am  
@PeoriaIllinoisan : This sounds like the OSF doctor filming incident a few years ago.
PeoriaIllinoisan reacted
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