KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Kalamazoo College will be building two new residence halls on campus.
Construction will start in May along West Main Street in Kalamazoo and the buildings are scheduled to be complete for students in the fall of 2027.
K-College says primarily juniors and seniors will be at the halls, which will have 218 beds. The residence halls are designed by Progressive Companies, and Owen-Aimes-Kimball will build them.
The residence halls are part of an effort to meet a growing need for affordable on-campus housing as off-campus housing costs continue to rise. Officials say they see a higher retention rate of students who live on-campus as well.
The fully accessible, barrier-free residence halls will consist of two towers, both four floors high, and will be connected by a common space to create an L shape with universal design.
It will provide green space and help form another quad on campus with Crissey and Severn residence halls while maintaining K’s Georgian architectural styles.
The common space inside will be accessible to all students and include a community kitchen, a marketplace, a terrace with outdoor seating that faces the community, and a hall lounge suitable for presentations and programming, similar to K’s Olmsted Room in Mandelle Hall.
The project will cost around $55 million, with $25 million provided in funding from an anonymous donation in 2023.
Kalamazoo College last built new on-campus residence halls in 1967.
A groundbreaking ceremony is being planned for June.
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