After serving Queens College since 1981, Kissena Hall will soon face its lease expiration, leaving departments and various occupants to flee to Queens Hall.
On November 15th, the Office of Facilities, Planning and Operations released an email stating that Kissena Hall will be closing its doors on June 30th, 2026 which is the end of the leasing period.
The building primarily served as an interim space for a variety of departments and offices of QC as well as the “Women for Afghan Women” (WAW) program. This program provided language-building services to women as well as girls of Afghanistan and the U.S. to advocate for themselves, their rights and the advancement of gender equality.
The email regarding the closing of the building stated, “Current occupants will be relocated to other locations on campus.” One of these locations will be “the newly renovated former Queens Hall Library space.”
Groups such as the LGBTQIA+ program, the Murphy Institute, the SBDC (Small Business Development Center), the Micropaleontology Press and the DOE inclusion program will relocate to Queens Hall starting June 30th.
With the surge of students turning up to Kissena Hall due to the reallocation of club and organization spaces as well as the shut down of the Student Union, there has been a rise in questions and concerns about the overall use of the building, the failure of the heating systems, and the poor sanitary conditions of the rooms and hallways.
Some students who settled into their realigned club and organization spaces have noticed the presence of dead cockroaches and cobwebs, as well as dirty floors and faulty windows.
The Knight News reached out to QC alumni, Monica Yakubova, who provided a statement regarding her prior investigation as it pertained to the decline of Kissena Hall.
“In Spring 2024, I worked on a potential article for The Knight News entailing the decline of Kissena Hall. I was inspired to pitch the article after overhearing students expressing frustration about Kissena Hall and not even knowing its purpose. When I visited the building for investigative purposes, I could see firsthand that their frustrations were valid,” said Yakubova.
She continued, “The infrastructure was completely outdated, with lights not functioning in many places of the building. The campus offices there had outdated posters outside of their completely locked doors with no employees inside.”
The Knight News sat down with Heysel Rodas, the Graduate Admissions Coordinator and Academic Advisor of the Murphy Institute. She explained that the Murphy Institute is a program which helps union members and working students acquire their free, initial certification for education and teaching while they earn course credit and respective stipends.
Rodas stated, “I’ve been working in this building since 2015 and even took classes here when I was a student.”
When asked if the QC administration helped the Murphy Institute relocate to Queens Hall, Rodas said, “Yes, that was the option offered to us. They also offered the Dining Hall but the space was smaller, I think they offered other options but we picked Queens Hall. I don’t really like the commute but it is what it is.”
She continued, expressing concerns of decreased student presence, “We’re going to be in the basement, where the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) services were. So I don’t know if the population of students showing up is going to be the same.”
Rodas also commented on the upkeep of the building, “They don’t really come and clean the building so I think it has been ignored and abandoned…we’ve been abandoned… but as long as I have a space to work, it doesn’t matter.” She added, “Like it’s so cold. In the winter, I freeze to death and in the summer…I freeze too! Because of the central air and cooling systems.”
As of right now, many departments have already organized their belongings and property to be moved out of the building. With many of Kissena Hall’s rooms containing broken and disposed furniture and supplies, it is evident that the building is rapidly moving forward in its closure. The Knight News will continue to provide information about this matter and students are encouraged to check their emails regarding the status of Kissena Hall’s relocated services.
