Thursday, February 19, 2015

PACE UNIVERSITY GAS LEAK FORCES STUDENTS OUT OF PLEASANTVILLE DORMS. NO CAUSE FOR THE GAS LEAK HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED YET.








FEBRUARY 18, 2015
PACE UNIVERSITY, PLEASANTVILLE

A gas leak at Pace University forced students out of their rooms Wednesday night.  Some students at the Pace University campus in Pleasantville were instructed to sleep in the gym for the night.

Students were evacuated from their dorms on the Pleasantville campus after Consolidated Edison responded to a gas leak around 3 p.m. and shut off gas on campus, according to company spokesman Philip O'Brien, who said the cause of the leak would be reported by a technician Thursday.  Con Edison shut off the gas for the safety of the Pace Westchester community, they said, leaving many students to relocate to the campus gym, commute home or stay with a student at a Pace’s Briarcliffe campus.

The university website said Pace was relocating students to its Briarcliff Manor campus and recommended that students go home for the night if they could do so. Others had the option of sleeping on cots at Willcox Hall Gym.

O'Brien said that as of 10 p.m. gas had been restored to two buildings but that five others remained out of service. Buildings that were affected included dorms, a student center, fitness center and administration building. O'Brien said temporary heat was scheduled to be installed Wednesday night by Pace's contractor.

Classes will continue Thursday as scheduled, Pace said. Food will be provided on the Briarcliff campus and delivered to Pleasantville at the Miller Kiosk, with breakfast available in the Briarcliff dining hall at 7:30 a.m. Thursday. Transportation also will be provided between the Briarcliff and Pleasantville campuses.