Villanova’s new dorms, The Commons, offer more than just living space. There’s two fitness centers and in 2020, the 200-seat Refectory restaurant will open, along with the Parliament Expresso & Coffee Bar, writes Melissa Jacobs for Main Line Today.

A performing arts center and a five-level parking garage will follow.

Villanova’s once-modest Lancaster Avenue entrance is now an upscale collegiate gateway.

The expansion of Villanova’s landscape has some nearby residents worrying about their quality of life; claiming there’s inadequate visitor parking, noise and light pollution from the stadium, and a potential increase in student enrollment.

It’s hard to say exactly how many homeowners are bothered by the changes.

Assistant vice president for government relations and external affairs Chris Kovolski said there are no plans to increase enrollment.

“For the kind of education that Villanova offers, our student-to-faculty ratio has to be small and our classroom size is small,” he said.

Radnor Board of Commissioner President Lisa Borowski is working to strike a balance between resident needs and university upgrades.

While resident concerns persist, Villanova has complied with every zoning restriction, worked with the township to control traffic during big events and minimized construction inconveniences.

Read more about the impact of Villanova’s changing landscape here.

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