Conn announces ground-breaking of new women’s dorm
Lee President Paul Conn announces the breaking ground of a new women's dorm. The building will temporarily be called "Keeble East."
Photo by Halea Lingerfelt
Lee University President Paul Conn has announced the ground-breaking of a new women's dorm.
Construction will begin on Monday, March 20 for a brand-new women’s townhouse complex as the latest addition to the Lee University campus.
The building will feature 11 two-bedroom units and will have capacity for 44 female students. It will be located on the grassy field behind the Nursing building, and a new parking lot will also be added in the back along the black fence, according to Lee President Paul Conn.
“The fall projections for occupancy are very high, so we think we’re going to be overflowing again next fall,” Conn said. “So we decided well, if we can still get them done in time for August, let’s do them.”
Lee is currently over capacity for female students to the point that dorms were overbooked and several dozen women had to be placed in auxiliary housing last year, according to Conn.
The elevation of the front of the "Keeble East" townhouse unit.
Photo courtesy of Cole Strong
The new building will eliminate the need for the university to rent out off campus apartments for students. It will be called “Keeble East” until another name is determined and will look just like the Livingston East complex on campus.
The project was also spurred on by responses from students and Residential Life and Housing, according to Cole Strong, the assistant vice president for operations.
“We felt like we had a need to create some more housing of some sort, and that building another Brinsfield-type townhouse would be our best bet and fit appropriately on the lot that we have available,” Strong said.
The view of the back of the Nursing building from the site of the future "Keeble East" townhouse complex.
Photo by Halea Lingerfelt
Conn said the university has been “jumping up through the hoops” on the project, which received a permit on Friday, March 17 and approval from the Board of Directors this week.
“I’m excited we’re gonna get this done, and Lord willing, 44 female students will have a brand-new home next fall,” Conn said. “I think if you were a nursing student or a business major or a communication major that would be a nice place to be.”
The complex will cost approximately $1.2 million, with the university working with a “typical tax free bond issue package.” The living cost will be the same as Brinsfield Row and Livingston East, which is higher than the other dorms on campus, according to Conn.
Assistant Director of Housing Morgan Jones said decisions have not been made about the process for students to reserve their spots in the building, but that they are “hoping to release that information soon.”
“We’re very excited,” Jones said. “We are thrilled that they are going to be able to move back on campus next year and that we should be able to accommodate all of our students on campus.”
