Construction crews at the UW are rallying to create the new dormitories and dining center to bring together a tighter community on campus. By situating living accommodations nearer to campus, students are gaining enhanced accessibility to facilities.
As of right now, the first-year student housing is located in White, Downey, Mcintyre and Orr Halls, providing approximately 2,000 beds. The four towers are clustered around the Washakie Center dining hall.
The new approved design, partly created from the Wyoming Legislative Task Force on UW Housing, broke ground in fall of 2022, and aims to add an initial 950 beds and provide a new dining facility.
This five-acre project ties into the goal behind these new construction plans, which is to connect first-year students to the positive aspects of campus life.
The addition of housing and dining to this location gives students an opportunity to be closer to the amenities and services found in Coe Library, the Wyoming Union and Half Acre Gym, and overall brings a small student-life neighborhood offering convenience and connectivity to resources.
“Bringing first-year housing into the historic campus core also removes the barrier and risk that crossing 15th Street represents in resident students’ daily life experience,” said the Laramie Clerk Office.
The Board of Trustees, on Jan. 25, approved two roundabouts along 15th Street, intersecting Willett Dr and Ivinson Avenue, costing up to $4.5 million.
Along with the Board of Trustees, the contractor, J E Dunn Construction, announced that there will also be a new transit system located at the intersection of Willett Drive and 15th Street. This system will provide easier access to the UW bus system, replacing the stop located east of the Wyoming Union.
Transit stops still remain at the Union until the new round-about is completed.
There have been some traffic restrictions as a result of the construction.
Temporary restrictions include a part-time closure along 15th Street between Lewis Street and Ivenson Avenue. Additionally, most of the Half Acre gym’s private parking lot has been blocked off due to the ongoing construction.
With each step in the construction, the campus is creating new spaces for students with a current completion date expected in spring of 2025.
