Residence Hall

Overview

Greenville University has increased total enrollment by 14% and here in 2014 and welcomed its largest traditional undergraduate class since 2008. Given GU’s current and projected growth and the cost of updating older residence halls on campus, the GU administration determined that a new campus residence hall was the wisest investment for the University.

The project is funded through a capital lease agreement and by GU donors.The construction program which began in late October 2022, is now complete, and students are taking up residence in University Hall.

This project gained approval from the Greenville University Board of Trustees and the Greenville City Council. CMI General Contractors, Inc., owned and operated by Charles McPherson, a GU alum, was awarded the contract.

The four-story, 40,000-square-foot building on College Avenue accommodates 246 beds and features a 4,000-square-foot state-of-the-art workout facility. The strategic location connects students to the downtown square and increases economic development opportunities for the City of Greenville.  

2024 Building Dedications

Dedications and ribbon-cutting ceremonies were held during Greenville University’s Homecoming Weekend for several recently completed construction projects on the campus.

Pictures from events held at University Hall residence hall are shown below.

Members of the Greenville University Board of Trustees are shown with President Suzanne Davis and University Hall Area Coordinator Dana Smith at the University Hall ribbon-cutting ceremony during Homecoming weekend. They are, from left, Dana Smith '19, Valerie Gin '82, Hugo Perez, Doug Newton, Melissa (McAlpin '84) Westover, Kendall Mathews '85, Suzanne (Allison '00) Davis, Jerry Hood ’82, Dan Denbo '76, Robert Wallstom, Amelia Cleveland-Traylor, Keith Cowart, Holley Maher '01, Tyler Campo '06, and Dennis Spencer '75.

Board of Trustees Chair Jerry Hood ’82 and board member Dr. Amelia Cleveland-Traylor dedicate the Dr. Kenneth and Stella Kaufmann Plaza.

Greenville University Board of Trustees members Kathy (Stewart '91) Turpin and Dan Denbo '76 dedicate the Dr. Ken and Stella Kaufmann Student Health Center.

Greenville University President Suzanne (Allison '00) Davis and Chief Philanthropy Officer Scott Giffen '99 are shown with donors James and Deana Jannetides (of University Loft Co.) and Ashley Alm.

GU representatives joined Jack Trager family members for the Jack Trager Athletics and Performance Training Center dedication. From left, President Suzanne Davis, BJ Schneck, Doug Faulkner, Tom Ackerman, Karla (Trager ’88) Conard, Mitchell Conard, Ken Trager ’82, Jeffrey Zitzloff, Sandy (Minshall '83) Trager, Pat Trager, Kurt Conard, Nicole (Zitzloff '00) Rangel, Kim (Trager) Zitzloff, Sandy (Minshall '83) Vivian, Jim Vivian ’83, and Jerry Hood ’82.

Greenville University President Suzanne (Allison '00) Davis is shown with several members of the Jack Trager family in the new Jack Trager Athletics and Performance Training Center on the first floor of University Hall. With Davis are, from left, Ken Trager ’82 (son), Pat Trager (wife), and daughters Kim (Trager) Zitzloff, and Karla (Trager ’88) Conard.

A large crowd gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony for University Hall and the dedication of the Dr. Kenneth and Stella Kaufmann Plaza. The four-story facility on College Avenue houses 246 students and includes a fitness center on the ground floor. Greenville University President Suzanne (Allison '00) Davis is shown addressing the crowd during the ceremony. 

Construction Updates

East entry area 
The main entrance on the southeast corner of the residence hall affords a striking view of the four-story, 246-bed building. Elevators to the upper floors are just inside this entrance, and the patio will provide a shaded outdoor area for students to gather.

Social room
Each wing of the residence hall includes a large room for socializing or doing homework. Those rooms have a couch, comfortable chairs, and a table. Each wing also includes laundry facilities with several washers and dryers.

North entrance
Vehicle access to the University Hall is available from the north side of the building. Parking in that area is limited to 30 minutes for drop-off or pick-up. Long-term parking is available in designated lots throughout campus.  

Front overall view
The front view of University Hall building shows the entire length of the four-story building, which fronts on College Avenue. A second entrance toward the left end is the access door to the state-of-the-art fitness center on the first floor.

Atrium area
As students enter the main door of University Hall, they pass through a four-story atrium that allows natural light into the entrance and allows an overlook of the area from the upper floors.

Concrete has been poured for several sidewalks around the new residence hall and a patio area near the front entrance of the building. More work on the entrance and landscaping will be addressed next.

Though much of the exterior work on the residence hall is now finished, workers now are focused on details like the eves system as the building moves toward completion.

Work continues on the interior of the new 246-bed University Hall. This photograph shows a hallway on one of the upper floors, where flooring, painting, and installation of permanent furniture is being done.

This overall view of the residence hall shows how it looks from College Avenue.

The fitness area in the lower floor of the residence hall building will be the last to be finished.

Most of the exterior brickwork and siding is now complete on the front of the residence hall.

Some exterior work is still being completed on the north side of the residence hall building.

Work on the interior of the residence hall has continued through the winter months. The left photo shows a social area on the fourth floor that overlooks the downtown square. The right photo shows interior of a room with the drywall partially finished. 

Work continues on the interior of the residence hall building. The photo at left shows a hallway in which the infrastructure is still exposed. At right is the area on the first floor that will house a fitness center.

As the exterior work on Greenville University’s new residence hall moves toward completion, the focus will shift to finishing the interior of the building. The left photo, shot from the southeast corner of the new building, shows the building as it appeared in late September. The right photo, shot from directly in front of the building, shows the view from College Avenue. 

Workers in late July began assembling rooms on the third floor of the new Greenville University residence hall on College Avenue. The room walls were built off-site and lifted to the floor by a crane. The four-story, 40,000-square-foot structure will accommodate 246 beds. It is expected to be ready to occupy when the second semester begins in January.

Workers started erecting the interior wooden walls of the new residence hall structure in the fall. The images below show some of the initial framing work using walls that were assembled off-site and trucked in.

Work continued on the residence hall during June. The left photo shows the progress on one of the elevator shafts, while the right photo shows the concrete being pumped up to the second-story to form the floor there.

After the site was prepared, the structural steel framework was installed in mid-February.