The George Washington University Board of Trustees Friday approved construction of a $130 million project to build a new residence hall that will provide approximately 850 beds on the Foggy Bottom Campus. The new building will incorporate new construction with the front portions of the West End, Schenley and Crawford residence halls, located mid-block between 21st and 22nd streets on H and Eye streets.
“The new building provides an opportunity to enhance the university’s student housing inventory to meet the needs of our students and further our efforts to build our residential communities as outlined in the strategic plan,” said Alicia Knight, senior associate vice president of operations.
Students residing in the new building, primarily second and third years, will live in either two-bedroom apartment units, studio apartment units or affinity housing units, which will provide space for groups of students to create their own living community. The building will also provide several units for professional staff and faculty participating in George Washington’s faculty-in-residence program.
"I am pleased that we are able to build a significant affinity housing component into the design,” said Peter Konwerski, senior associate vice president and dean of student affairs. “This type of housing further enhances George Washington’s community building goals. These academic-residential communities facilitate even stronger connections between our students involved in co-curricular clubs and organizations, undergraduate research opportunities and community service activities.”
Development of the new residence hall will employ both historic preservation of the front portions of the existing buildings and new construction. The building is planned to include approximately 270,000 square feet above grade. Below grade space will total approximately 64,000 square feet and will be used for student-related activities and meeting space, including the opportunity for retail space. The ground floor space along Eye Street is anticipated to be used as retail space, which will further the Eye Street Retail Corridor called for in the 2007 Foggy Bottom Campus Plan.
West End, Schenley and Crawford halls were constructed in the mid 1920s and were acquired by GW between 1960 and 1997. The new residence hall is expected to be complete in advance of the fall 2016 semester.