The Record Online

Spring/Summer 2001

New Residence Hall on College Avenue

Along with record enrollment comes the need for more student housing. It makes sense, therefore, that the newest building emerging on the “skyline” of Greenville College is a new residence hall. The new $1 million facility, located on College Avenue where the Music House previously stood, will accommodate 80 students beginning in August.

Work began in January with the removal of two houses owned by the college, the old Music House (also known as the Bradford House) and the Watts Building. Since then, construction has moved along so quickly that the exterior of the structure was nearly finished by press time in mid May. In fact, by the time the college was able to erect a “coming soon” sign for the new dorm, it was already there.

David Hoag, Vice President for Advancement, says the college has made a special effort to have the design of the new building “fit” its prominent location on College Avenue. “We’ve added some dormers and changed the roof line of the design to give it more of a Hogue Hall look on the front,” says Hoag.

This location was identified as the site of a future dorm as far back as the original campus master plan developed in 1977. It was no longer practical for the college to continue to use the old structures (Music House and Watts Building) for student housing and classrooms because they were becoming fire concerns.

In the past year the college has been reviewing and updating its campus master plan. As part of that process, Hoag says the college wanted to reevaluate its philosophy on student residential housing. The college wants to move toward three types of student housing: (1) traditional, such as Joy and Janssen Halls, for freshmen and sophomores; (2) more independent apartment-style living, such as the new Tower Apartments, primarily for seniors; and (3) an intermediate level some-where in between those two, for sophomores and juniors.

Hoag expects the college to phase out the practice of having students live in houses. “In the next four to five years we should be totally out of the houses.” He says the one notable exception is the historic Bass-Mollett House that sits up on the hill overlooking Beaumont. Bass-Mollett will be preserved but used for purposes other than student housing, possibly administrative offices.

The new dorm’s three levels include about 15,000 square feet of living space. Its intermediate style of living is similar to those found in Tenney and Kinney Halls but with more independence. Norm Hall, Dean of Student Development, says the new accommodations are based on the concept of “progressive independent living.”

Instead of the long corridors and group restrooms of traditional dorms, the layout features large lounges or common areas, along with apartment-style pods. Each apartment has its own kitchenette and spacious living room. Hall says the interior design reflects many hours of planning that involved students in the process, including Carl Salz, student body president.

Unlike Tower Apartments built last year, this new dormitory is owned by the college. “Residence halls are self-amortizing,” Hoag explains. “Basically, they pay for themselves from the housing fees students pay to live in them.”

Related Links:
Residence Hall Building Progress
Student Development
Residence Life

Last updated: July 17, 2001