The George Washington University will accelerate its timeline to fully renovate Thurston Hall, a project that is not only significant in its scope but also is a cornerstone of GW’s strategic initiative to improve the student experience. In order to focus on Thurston, the university will suspend planning for a previously announced project to build a new residence hall.
The university plans a complete interior overhaul of the nine-story residential building, one of the university's largest. Under the current plans, students would move into a new Thurston no later than fall 2022 and potentially as early as 2021.
"This accelerated timeline allows us to significantly improve a defining part of the first-year student experience sooner than previously planned," President Thomas LeBlanc said. "Thurston should be reflective of a preeminent institution, and we have a vision for a dynamic, inclusive community that helps students feel at home at GW."
The university recently issued a competition to architecture firms for design proposals that create a dynamic home for students with more community space, modern rooms and amenities. Officials aim to choose a firm this spring and begin stakeholder engagement activities both internal to the university and with the surrounding community later this spring. The project is planned to go before the Board of Trustees in May for approval.
The university will provide more information about housing for students during the renovation work as it becomes available over the next several months. Students living in Thurston this academic year are not affected.
GW will continue to update the university and Foggy Bottom communities as the project progresses.
