Orchard Lane Apartments

August 8, 2023

Dear all,

I am writing to let you know about an unexpected issue at Vassar’s new Orchard Lane apartments. On Sunday evening, a sprinkler pipe located in the wall of a top floor hallway burst, flooding some apartments. As a result, the Fire Department had to shut off the power to the building, and we have temporarily relocated the tenants living in the 16 apartments that were occupied at the time.

Taking care of the tenants and returning the building to full occupancy are top priorities, and I am very thankful to Dean Begemann and Anthony Ripley, who, along with Allison O'Brien, have been coordinating the response and are in regular communication with the tenants. Flood remediation specialists have met on site with the affected tenants to document the damage and work with our faculty, administrators, and staff who were living there to move and clean their belongings.

We have rented rooms at the Homewood Suites that are available to any of the displaced tenants starting this evening, August 8. The rooms are pet friendly and have kitchenettes. We have also communicated with incoming tenants who have not yet arrived, and we are working with each individually to assess their needs and accommodate them.

An independent party is investigating what caused the pipe to burst. At this point, it looks like it may have been a faulty pipe, but more research is needed. We are doing everything we can to remediate the damage so that residents can return to the building as soon as possible; Dean Begemann will continue to update them regularly.

This is a challenging way to start the year and certainly a hardship for the new building’s residents. I am grateful to everyone for your flexibility as we resolve this issue. If you have any questions or concerns, please continue to reach out to Dean Begemann, who will have the most up-to-date information.

Thank you, 

Elizabeth H. Bradley, President  
Vassar College  
Poughkeepsie, NY 12604  
@EHBVassar