There are new housing projects and then there are housing rebirths. Eastern Michigan University recently kicked off the latter with a groundbreaking ceremony that will result in more than 3,000 updated beds in just the next few years.
The Welcome Home 2025 project, as it has been named, will renovate halls that haven't been refreshed since they were built in the 1970s. That means all buildings will get upgraded WiFi and electronic door locks. Air conditioning will be installed in a number of buildings that previously didn't have it. Creating and updating common spaces is a priority, leveraging student lounges as well as rooms designed for podcasting, gaming, prayer rooms, and community kitchens. In all, more than $200 million will be invested by Eastern Michigan and its partners (the Gilbane Development Company is coordinating financing) to maximize the student living experience.
Three halls are scheduled to re-open at the start of the 2023 academic year, and two new halls, including an apartment-style building, are scheduled to open in 2024. Jeanette Zalba, Eastern Michigan's director of housing and residence life, noted that equity was a driving force in many of the decisions made throughout the process. Along with an elevated level of student feedback on the design, features, and furniture, they remained dedicated to keeping housing affordable.
"The decision to do something comprehensive that includes renovations was to assure that we did not create a have-and-have-not environment on our campus," she said. "It is acceptable to have residence halls and apartments with different configurations and price points. But we did not want to see a new building without really making everything updated for our students."
— James A. Baumann