POTSDAM, New York (WWNY) – A brief burst of international sport will hold long-term benefits for one SUNY Potsdam dorm.
Rooms at SUNY Potsdam’s Knowles Hall sit empty now. But, they’ll fill up with Winter World University Games hockey competitors come next January. But first there’s some work to do.
“The biggest thing with Knowles is going to become TLC. It’s going to be replacing the furnishings. It’s going to be throwing some paint on the walls. Redoing some carpeting. Working on some of the bathrooms,” said
Patrick O’Brien, SUNY Potsdam director environmental health and safety.
The dorm’s south tower has not housed students full-time in a while. Some rooms have been used for music practice. Some for quarantine.
But, once athletes leave, the plan is to return rooms to their original use.
“In the end, it will leave us with a building that’s suitable for student housing,” said O’Brien.
The cost of refurbishing will be covered by World University Games room fees. Nearly 600 athletes will be housed there. Some rooms will be used as training rooms.
It won’t be just the dorm filling up when the World University Games come. Restaurants and hotels are expected to be busy as the games go on.
Preliminary hockey rounds will be played at rinks at SUNY Potsdam, Clarkson University, and SUNY Canton. Finals are at Lake Placid. Hockey fans are ready for something different.
“It’s going to be a lot, like, cooler. Like, a lot more people with, like, different skill levels and different training from all over the world. It’s going to be really cool to see,” said Liz Combs, SUNY Potsdam freshman.
The games officially kick off January 12, 2023. Up to 1,600 athletes from 50 nations are expected.
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