univ ersity news
UNIVERSITY STUDENT HOUSING OPENS NEWEST RESIDENCE HALL Members of the campus community were joined by federal and state officials in a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating this fall’s opening of Commonwealth Hall, the latest major student residence on the University’s north campus. The new student residence is located on the former site of Sanderson Hall, which was demolished in 2009. Designed by Voith-MacTavish Architects and completed this summer by P. Agnes Builders, the 653-bed building is similar to three other campus residence halls with suite-style living and semi-private bathrooms —Allegheny, Brandywine, and University Halls. Various floor plans are offered in the community, from single occupancy suites to shared living environments with up to six residents. The building is replete with a fitness center, yoga studio, study lounges on every floor, and a full residence life program. In addition to residential suites, the University’s Student Health Services and the Counseling Center are located in the building’s lower level. The $47 million project is the latest phase of the Housing Renewal Initiative – a long-term plan to renovate student housing on the University’s campus. Both construction and operation of the units are the responsibility of University Student Housing LLC. (UHS), the subsidiary of the West Chester University Foundation that has constructed, and currently operates, 2,962 beds in six communities on the University’s campus. Participating in the ceremony were (l to r): Executive Director of the WCU Foundation, Richard Przywara; West Chester Mayor Carolyn Committa; Rural Housing Service (RHS) Administrator, Tony Hernandez of the US Department of Agriculture; West Chester University Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Linda Lamwers; Thomas Williams, Rural Development State Director; Keith Beale, Chair of the Board of USH; Carl Gersbach, board member of USH; Steve Keener, project manager of P. Agnes Inc.; and Reception area for Student Health Services, including the Wellness Michael Ward with USDA. Center, the Counseling Center, the Office for Alcohol, Tobacco and “By providing additional on-campus housing, the new student resiOther Drug Programs, and Nutrition Services. dence will help to build a vibrant student community and encourage more students to live on campus,” says Przywara. “Reaction from students and parents has been enormously positive,” added Housing Director Michael Selby. “They love their new home on campus.”
2 West Chester University