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.