A new residence hall that is scheduled to be completed for the Fall 2018 takes precedence over other construction projects on campus, including a HUB renovation, said Kristen Kostecky, associate vice president of Facilities.

The plans to construct a new residence hall on High Street were presented to the Board of Trustees during their visit to campus on Oct. 22 through 24, and the construction is set to start around the spring of 2017.

According to the college website, the new dorm will be 38,000 square feet of living space and is expected to house between 114 and 120 students. The project also aims for platinum certification from the Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.

The renovation will not replace any of the previously standing dorm buildings but will add to the already existing residence halls.  It will be located along High Street, between Conway and Mooreland, next to Malcolm, Kostecky said.

Joyce Bylander, vice president of Student Life, confirmed that to accommodate the addition, the construction team will knock down the ROTC house and ROTC offices at 450 W. High Street.

The need for a new residence hall was identified in the Quality of Student Life study that was completed in 2010, and the enrollment of the college’s largest ever First Year class this year reemphasized the need for more living space.  As a result, Kostecky said, the new dorm building took priority as the next large construction project to take place on campus.

“A new dorm will help to provide some swing space for other renovations on campus as they occur,” said Kostecky.

Other plans for large-scale construction projects include a renovation of the HUB.  While there are no active projects being outlined for HUB renovations, a large-scale renovation of the building will likely occur after the completion of the new residence hall.