Residence hall groundbreaking ceremony set for Nov. 24

November 21, 2008

The promise of a new residence hall, the first in 40 years on the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater campus, will come closer to reality at a groundbreaking ceremony at 2:45 p.m., Monday, Nov. 24.

The ceremony will be conducted just west of White Hall near Starin Rd. and will follow with a reception at the Visitor’s Center. The new building is scheduled for completion and occupancy in 2010.

“The new central core of campus will provide significantly improved teaching, learning and living opportunities for students and faculty and staff,” Steve Summers, interim assistant chancellor of Student Affairs, said.

The residence hall will house 446-bed suite-styled rooms including 19 universal design 4-person suites (twice the number required by the Americans with Disabilities Act), 90 traditional 4-person suites, as well as 10 Resident Assistant suites. The building will also have a computer lab, multi-purpose room and dividable seminar room. UW-Whitewater’s mission of accessibility continues as students with disabilities can expect to find hallways and doorways more suitable to handle their wheelchairs, two-elevator banks, lowered service desks, roll-in showers with stools, non-recessed facilities as well as a multi-gender bathroom appropriate for caregivers.

“We really wanted to emphasize the fact that the building supports our mission for students with disabilities,” said Jeff Janz, interim dean of Student Life and the new residence hall project coordinator. “The unique architecture was constructed for better accessibility for students with disabilities compared to a more traditional design.”

The new facility is also on target to be the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified residence hall in the state of Wisconsin. A measure of sustainability, the new residence hall will take an active approach to reducing energy consumption and increasing environmental awareness.

For more information contact Jeff Janz at janzj@uww.edu or at 262-472-1533.