Framingham State preparing for $6.6 million Linsley Hall renovations

By Izabela Gage

Editorial Staff

Framingham State University is set to turn Linsley Hall into below-market housing for faculty, staff, and graduate students, according to President Nancy Niemi.

With $6.6 million in state funding secured this past summer, the University aims to open the redesigned Linsley Hall by spring 2027.

Linsley opened in 1971 and was renovated in 2002. According to an article published in The Gatepost on Oct. 27, 2023, “Linsley Hall to reopen for summer of 2024,” Linsley Hall was closed for the 2023-24 academic year and housed students who needed housing over summer break in 2024.

Renovating Linsley Hall is possible because the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has had a buildup of funds in a program called ‘Fair Share Funding,’ which was passed in 2022, according to Robert Totino, vice president of administration, finance, and technology.

According to the Massachusetts Teachers Association, “The Fair Share Amendment … creates a four percent tax on the portion of a person’s annual income above $1 million.”

Totino said the proceeds collected in that fund are earmarked for education and transportation projects, and it has grown so large that a supplemental bill was filed by the legislature in the spring of 2025. 

He added, “We, as Framingham State, have been trying for a couple of years to get some funding for this initiative, and we’re very fortunate that this has come to fruition.”

Niemi said she was honored by the state’s support for this first-of-its-kind grant and what it means for FSU. “I’m really happy and proud that we can move forward in this. This is a special project. … I know we’re the first state university to do this, and it feels wonderful to make a bigger community.”

Totino said, “We’ve been advocating for this as a great project because housing right now is in high demand across the state and across the nation, too.”

Niemi said the first reason University officials initiated this project is the cost of living in Massachusetts, because over the time she has worked at FSU, she has learned housing in this area is hard to find or too expensive.

Totino said housing struggles have already cost the University potential hires. “President Niemi did inform me over the summer that we were looking at hiring a couple of new faculty for the fall, but they turned us down because they could not find housing in the area that fit their price range.”

Niemi said, “We can pay people what we think is a reasonable wage, but the housing market doesn’t match the salary often.”

The lack of short-term housing adds another layer to the problem, according to Niemi. “There are people who live in other parts of the state, or lovely New England, who work here and need a place to stay for the week. … You don’t want a whole apartment with its expense if you’re going to be here for the week, but you go home on the weekend. So there’s another need we have.”

Niemi said, “The other part of it is a community idea that universities are communities - little cities in and of themselves. So we have this amazing public infrastructure - we have places to eat, we have a library, we have a gym, we have communal spaces outside and inside - so why not have a place where people who work with us also want to be part of that community?”

Niemi said a sense of belonging is central to the project, because “living well and as part of a bigger community matters. We want to take that seriously and offer opportunities that our University is more than simply a place to work - that we can have it as a place where you can truly live as well.”

Totino said this approach may include not only current staff, faculty, and graduate students, but also educators in the region, including those who work in Framingham Public Schools or at The Learning Center for the Deaf.

Niemi said she has had conversations with agencies in MetroWest and Framingham that need housing. “I think that can still happen, but it would have to be for area educators in some capacity because that’s what we have to do, and that’s who we are.”

Linsley Hall is the only residence hall of the seven on campus that has air conditioning.

Totino said, “We’re going to be able to put air conditioning in Larned Hall, probably for the summer of 2026.”

Niemi said putting air conditioning into Larned Hall “will allow us to raise our summer housing capacity, which we find that we need. It’s getting warmer for longer, and we can house more people in the summer with that.”

Totino said of the $6.6 million appropriation, University officials will be using over $1 million to retire the outstanding debt on Linsley Hall, “which is going to be another great savings overall for the cost to operate that facility.”

According to Totino, the final design will include 32 apartments - 20 studio units supported by shared kitchens on each floor and the rest as two- and three-bedroom apartments with their own kitchen facilities.

Totino said, “We don’t have anyone on board at this time, but we will be engaging with an architect and a construction company because there are two big projects - Larned and Linsley.”

Niemi said the price range for the units is still undetermined because University officials have to take into account the two years in between now and when the apartments will be available, and it depends on what the market rates are by then. 

Totino said the University might have to limit the number of cars the residents in Linsley can park on campus.

He added because of the transportation options near and on campus, the University will see if residents can use public transportation rather than rely on personal vehicles that would have to be parked on campus. “It’ll be a multi-faceted approach to make sure that we can meet the needs of the residents in that building.”

Administrative Assistant for the Division of Graduate Studies and Continuing Education Heather Jones said she lived in an apartment in Foster Hall for a year. 

“There’s so much public transportation in this area, and the price wasn’t bad. … You got internet, electric, basically everything, for $1,500 a month, which in today’s economy is really good,” she said.

Jones said being able to be a bigger part of the community was very nice, especially because she was a club advisor, so she could help them when they needed it.

Jones said, “We need employee housing, because there’s a housing crisis right now … and I’m glad that they are actually taking the initiative to do that.”

Junior Indigo Allain said, “I think the summer housing will improve once it is moved to Larned because the building can house more people, and the rooms are a good size.”

Allain said she thinks it’s important that Framingham State is recognized for offering apartments at below-market rates, “as it allows graduate students and faculty to continue their education and work with the benefits of affordable housing.”

Post-baccalaureate teacher licensure program student Eileen Moynihan said, “The advantage of having the library so easily accessible would be huge. I know that's definitely a point of concern for me when I'm doing projects and writing papers, which is how often I can get to the library, so I think having access to resources like the library and professors in such an easy way is really attractive.”

She added having a community for graduate students closer to resources gives them a better chance at academic success as well as a built-in social life.

Senior Nick Messina said having staff, faculty, and graduate students on campus “helps strengthen the community because of everyone being in proximity.”

He added he thinks it’s “innovative” for FSU to be the first state school to offer housing at affordable rates for its own community. 

Junior Shelbie Greenaway said she thinks it’s exciting to see Framingham State take this leap. “It shows that our school is not only focused on academics but also values its students and staff. It is a step in the right direction, and I think once this is implemented, other schools may begin to follow.”

English graduate student Allie Mosher said, “Offering staff and faculty housing is a great idea, since they typically work here a lot longer than students attend classes here, meaning it would offer them some stability in being able to commit to their jobs.”

As a commuter for most of her time at FSU, she said, “A space on campus definitely encourages students to engage more with campus activities and events. It can feel a little isolating, so that would be nice.”

English graduate student Sam Stafinski said allowing graduate students to live on campus “will give students more headspace to focus on their studies in a space that values academic rigor.”

Niemi said the project offers an opportunity to rethink the relationship between universities and the people who make them run. “I’m excited about how this changes a bit of the model as to how we educate people and the people who help make it happen. I’m very excited about it and very grateful.”