Construction of a new dormitory next to New Dorm will finish by July 2023 and be ready for students in the fall, according to Chief Administrative Officer Rich Péwé. 

Located on Union Street, the new dorm will house female students. 

“It would work well as a men’s dorm, but, given its proximity, it works best for a women’s dorm” Péwé said.

According to Péwé, the dorm has yet to be named, as the college is still funding the project. 

“The college is financing it internally and seeking a lead gift for the naming rights,” Péwé said. 

McIntyre Head resident assistant and junior Bridget Whalen said she welcomes the addition.

“Considering the incoming class size of last year, having more space on campus is definitely a good thing,” Whalen said. 

Whalen said the new dorm could improve dorm life overall. 

“As long as they have better plumbing than Mac and better bathrooms than Olds, it should be an improvement,” Whalen said. “Hopefully they also have a better defined community space than Mac, which has so many it can actually be a little isolating.” 

In addition to Péwé’s office, Executive Director of Facilities Dave Billington is overseeing the project. 

“Liz Gray from my office has been managing the furniture procurement, and Julie Fisher has been assisting with paperwork,” Péwé said. “We have worked closely with Rebekah Dell on the interior finishes and furniture.”   

 According to Péwé, the college has hired Design Collaborative and Weigand Construction to design and build the dorm, the same architect and contractor who built New Dorm in 2018. 

According to freshman Jamie Parsons, friendship is the main factor in where she’ll decide to live next year.

“I’d need to know more about the new dorm before I’d see if I’d want to live there next year,” Parsons said. “I’m already planning on seeing where my friends go and staying where they end up.”

Whalen said she also values community in dorm life. 

“We need a strong on-campus community and having a concentrated female presence on campus could be awesome,” Whalen said.  “It could be a really wonderful inter-dorm community.”