The first floor of the new dorm takes shape.

March 5, 2006

A burgeoning on-campus student population has already filled a 1 ½-year-old residence hall and precipitated the building of a second structure.

Completed in 2004, Davidson Hall has quickly reached its 108-person capacity, so a second new dorm is being raised next door. The as-yet-unnamed new residence hall, designed to house 110 students, will open to students in fall 2006.

“This fall, we had 448 residents, compared with only 378 residents the year before,” said Vice President for Business Chris Erickson. “That meant we were beyond comfortable capacity, and that’s the reason we decided to build a new residence hall. By the fall of 2006, everyone should be comfortable.”

Work on this newest dorm began last fall with a groundbreaking ceremony, excavation and the permit submissions. But construction began in earnest March 1, when R.L. Reimers Co., of Albany poured a large concrete slab and began framing with steel studs. Over spring break, a crane operator set the heavy steel beams that will support the hall’s upper floors.

“It’s basically an indestructible building,” Erickson. “The exterior will be done with stone veneer and Hardi-plank siding. We haven’t picked a color yet, but it will complement the Northwest look of Davidson Hall.”

Funding for the $3.5 million residence hall is being raised through a bond offering. Bond-holders will be paid from the new halls’ income over the next 15 years. At the end of that period, the college will own the structure outright.

Women will live in the new residence hall, and Davidson, now a women’s hall, will begin housing men. But before men move into Davidson, construction workers will upgrade restrooms and add additional features such as ceiling fans and magnetic doors, said Vice President for Marketing Steve Hunt.

Administrators’ plans extend beyond this newest dorm. When it reaches capacity, a third dorm will join it and Davidson. Eventually, the trio will stand side-by-side along Warrior Drive on the hillside between the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center and the Academic Center. Other campus housing consists of Prewitt/Van Gilder, Aagard and Faraar halls as well as cottages and townhouses for upperclassmen.

“We have a 15-year (2020) plan, and it’s broken down into five-year segments,” Hunt said. “We hope to have 1,100 students by 2010, and we plan to add housing as our growth requires.”