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Just as Walker Construction workers finished Phase II of the Kennedy Apartments on the west side of Gonzaga University’s campus, they began work on the east side of campus where a 102,000-square-foot residence hall is being built that will accommodate 340 new freshmen in fall 2009.
The new freshman residence hall at Gonzaga is on a fast-track, scheduled to open in fall 2009.
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The new residence hall, which carries an estimated price tag of $16.0 million, will be located on what had been a grass soccer practice field along the west side of Hamilton Street, northeast of the Martin Centre, and south of St. Monica residence hall. Its foundation and walls are visible from Hamilton. A name for the facility has not been decided upon yet.
The construction comes as Gonzaga confirmed another record large freshman class. According to 10th-day enrollment figures from the registrar’s office, the current freshman class numbers 1,103 students, topping the record-large final 2007 freshman class totaling 1,031 students. The 10-day enrollment figures also peg Gonzaga’s total undergraduate enrollment at 4,515 students, up from the final 2007 total undergraduate enrollment of 4,377 students.
The fall 2008 total institutional enrollment (by headcount) is 7,229 students, up from the final fall 2007 count of 7,020 students. Total enrollment includes undergraduate, Law School and all graduate programs.
With the new residence hall scheduled to open for freshmen in fall 2009, workers will be on a fast track and are expected to complete what is typically a 15- to 18-month project in 12 months, said Ken Sammons, Gonzaga’s director of plant services. Footing and foundation plans were recently approved by the city. The architect for the project is Wolfe Architectural Group, P.S., of Spokane.
The new residence hall will include four stories of wood-framed housing with a concrete deck and 18,600 square feet of parking underneath. Similar to the Kennedy Apartments, this “hybrid” residence hall will include lounge and recreation areas, a main lobby with a fireplace, a reception center, a classroom and a small Sodexo food and coffee facility. Each floor will have an apartment to accommodate resident directors, a chaplain or live-in faculty.
The facility includes capacity to construct housing for up to 260 more students (600 total) if additional wings are added later. The Gonzaga Board of Trustees approved the construction at its July meeting.
For more information, contact Ken Sammons, director of plant services at Gonzaga, at (509) 313-6951, or via e-mail.
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