The Ridge is going to get a new look in the next few years as Western’s Highland Hall will be replaced by a new residence hall by 2021.
Design for the new building is under way. Amenities, designed with rooms offered with different price points and amenities to entice upper-division students to stay on campus, will include laundry and storage, lounges, common kitchens, kitchenettes in some units, and study areas.
The new residence hall will have about 400 beds, a net gain of 264 beds after accounting for the loss of beds at Highland Hall. The $65 million project will be funded with a combination of revenue bond proceeds and current cash in the University Residence system.
Plans are also underway for two more campus buildings, including a 50,000 square-foot Interdisciplinary Science Building just south of Biology and connected with a sky bridge. The $66.5 million, state funded project is expected to be complete by fall 2021.
And a Consolidated Academic Support Services Facility will be located just south of main campus to accommodate nonacademic staff, leaving more space on campus for academic functions. Pending legislative approval, the facility will be financed through a state-issued Certificate of Participation sale.
