Western Kentucky University has released renderings of the first new residence hall under a multi-year housing transformation, which the school has termed Elevate WKU.
The outdated Hugh Poland and Douglas Keen Halls at the south end of campus will be demolished this summer and replaced with a 1,000-bed dormitory.
The serpentine-shaped dorm features a mix of private and semi-private suite-style rooms. President Timothy Caboni said Friday the new building eliminates community-style restrooms.
“That means that young people who come to WKU won’t have to have flip flops and a shower caddy," Caboni said." We know we’re in a really competitive marketplace, so we know what we have to do is up our game.”
All community-style living will be eliminated by 2030, which Caboni says will help WKU rival its closest competitors, including the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, the University of Tennessee, and Indiana University.
The new residence hall is being designed by St. Louis-based Mackey Mitchell Architects. Principal John Burse detailed the floor plan on Friday to the WKU Board of Regents. He said one of its greatest features is a Great Hall on the first floor.
“It’s intended to be the living room for the 1,000 students who live here, said Burse. "It offers dining, 24 hour study space. So you can imagine this being the social heart of the residents who live here.”
The five-story, 300,000-square-foot dorm will house freshmen and open in the fall of 2028. It will be located at the intersection of Avenue of Champions and University Boulevard.
In December, WKU approved a pre-development agreement with private developer Gilbane. The Rhode Island-based real estate company would be in charge of all new construction and the operation of WKU’s residence halls under a 40-year deal that’s expected to receive final approval in May.
Gilbane would replace the non-profit Student Life Foundation which has constructed and owned WKU housing since 1999. The public-private partnership is expected to give the university more oversight in campus housing.
Three of WKU's newest residence halls are shuttered due to faulty construction.
The $40 million Hilltopper Hall opened in 2018 and closed in 2024. The dorm will be razed following the spring semester.
Regents Hall and Normal Hall, which opened in 2021 at a cost of $48 million, are temporarily closed to make them more structurally sound and compliant with fire codes. Those residence halls are scheduled to reopen in Fall 2027.
