New Residence Hall to Be Constructed

As two projects enter the final construction phase, Urbana University is setting its sights on building another residence hall to house students.

Work is planned to commence this summer on a two-story, 33,752-square-foot residence facility, Dr. Robert Head, University President, announced. The building will be the ninth and largest facility to house students on the campus of Urbana University. The 152-bed residence hall is planned to be open for the 2007-08 academic year.

Total cost of the project, including construction, furniture, development of parking, and technology, is estimated at $5.3 million.
“I am pleased to announce the construction of a new residence hall,” Dr. Head commented. “This facility will add housing capacity to our growing university community.”

As construction commences on the new residence hall, work is winding down on the new 27,000-square-foot student center and the multi-purpose stadium. Both of these projects are scheduled to be completed this summer, before the upcoming 2006-07 academic year at Urbana.

It was only two years ago that Urbana University dedicated Sycamore Hall, the eighth residence hall on campus that can house 116 students. Sycamore has served as a men’s residence facility since it opened.

The upcoming project will be the sixth major building construction/renovation project at Urbana University since 2000. A primary reason for this has been dramatic growth in enrollment at Urbana. Since 1997, the number of students at Urbana has grown by over 50 percent. As campus infrastructure and academic programs are added and enhanced, Urbana University officials are optimistic that enrollment growth will continue.

The new residence hall will increase to 562 the number of students Urbana University can house on campus. Additional rooms are available to house graduate assistants and residence assistants.

Site preparation has begun for the new building. It will be located south of the Swedenborg Memorial Library.

Dr. Head said that planning for the new hall was completed under the direction of Urbana University’s Board of Trustees Building and Grounds Committee Chair H. Daniel Smith; Board Chair William Edwards; and Committee members Deborah Hill Grimes and Robert Harrison, along with the project’s architect, Levin and Porter Associates Inc. of Dayton, and general contractor, Kapp Construction Inc. of Springfield.

The new residence hall will feature three two-story wings, also referred to as “pods,” that will extend from a central entrance area. Each wing will accommodate approximately 25 students.

“This wing design allows for a great deal of flexibility in meeting the housing needs for our students,” Chip Weisgerber, Ph.D., Dean of Students and Executive Director of Administration, said.

With this increased flexibility, the University may house international and Honors College students in the new residence hall. There also are housing options within each wing, as the new facility will offer a combination of double and single rooms with semi-private bathrooms.

There will be student lounge space on each floor and in each wing. There will also be laundry facilities available on each floor. High-speed Internet access will be available in each room, and the telephone service will be connected to the University’s technology network. Cable television service also will be available in each room through the University’s partnership with CT Communications Inc.

The main entrance to the new building will feature the Urbana University arches. The arches are a familiar site at Urbana University, with many of the buildings – including Sycamore Hall and the new student center – featuring the arches in their design. Urbana University’s logo highlights the arches.