The construction of the Phi Sigma Epsilon Alumni Pavilion will be completed in June, and new projects involving Central Hall, Mossey Library, and the Grewcock Student Union may begin within the next two years, according to Chief Administrative Officer Rich Péwé.

The college is also considering expansions to the Dow Hotel and Conference Center. According to a proposal presented to the City of Hillsdale Community Development Committee in March, the four-star hotel would feature 158 rooms, conference and dining facilities, and a public fine dining restaurant.

“It will serve as a foundational piece in facilitating both the visitor growth the college has experienced, and the future growth that is anticipated,” said Tim Wells, associate vice president of administrative affairs. “This facility would aid in the furtherance of the college’s mission in affording necessary accommodation and meeting and event spaces so that the offerings provided can be presented to the broadest possible audience.”

Wells said the college currently receives an estimated 70,000 visitors a year, and as the school’s event calendar expands, that number is expected to grow.

“With the growth in visitors and event attendees, having a location that would afford people the opportunity to stay on the campus would have direct benefit to city enterprises and businesses,” Wells said.

There is currently no start date for the project because it is still in the discussion and planning phase, according to Wells. If the expansion moves forward, it will take approximately two years to complete.

Péwé said the Phi Sig Pavilion will be dedicated at homecoming next semester, but will not be open to student use until the spring semester. Students and faculty will be able to reserve the space through the Student Activities Office, but it will be reserved for alumni of Phi Sig during every homecoming.

“​​It will be a great space for larger meetings, smaller concerts, recitals, receptions, parties, chess club, classes, and casual gatherings,” Péwé said. “It will be a new hub for student activities.”

Péwé said the pavilion’s completion depends on brick and window deliveries. After the building is finished, the college will install irrigation and plant new grass.

“The lot will be flat, green, and perfect for various physical activities, lawn games, and the type of events that took place on the quad,” Péwé said. “We located the pavilion strategically so that we can still set up tents for all school events like Centralhallapalooza.”

The pavilion’s amenities include a large indoor room, kitchen, storage space, and men’s and women’s restrooms, according to Péwé. The covered outdoor space features a gas fireplace, radiated heaters, an outdoor kitchen and grilling station, a full-sun patio, and a firepit with built-in seating.

Phi Sigma Epsilon alumni association donated the land to Hillsdale College in 2022. Although the fraternity has not existed on campus for more than 30 years, Phi Sig alumni association member Ross Anderson ’79 previously told The Collegian that members continued attending homecoming celebrations.

“We wanted a permanent structure on that property that would preserve our legacy, honor the Greek system on campus, and be a safe meeting place for people,” Anderson said at the time.

Péwé said the college also plans to begin renovations within the next two years to extend Central Hall, renovate and extend Mossey Library, and reface the Grewcock Student Union.

Péwé said the school hopes to add more classroom, office, and study spaces and unify the aesthetics of the campus.

“Our plan is to harmonize without conformity,” Péwé said. “Eventually it’ll be one of the most beautiful campuses in the country.”

Péwé said the schematic plans are done and the college has begun fundraising. The school would like to begin the projects while the quad is inaccessible due to the construction of the classical education building.

“Our hope is that by July we’ll be able to make some decisions about what we do next,” Péwé said.

The union will be refaced to be more complementary with the style of Christ Chapel, according to Péwé.

“The Grewcock Union is fantastic and everyone loves it, so we’re not doing anything to change the interior spaces,” he said.

The school plans to change the pitch of the triangular pediment above the columns and add a covered walkway that will run from the chapel arcade to the library, where it will join one of the library additions, according to Péwé.

Péwé said the college plans to add additions to both the south and west sides of the library.

“We’re planning to do an undercroft for the library addition that would go down these grand steps, and then we’d have reading rooms above that,” Péwé said of the west addition on the front of the building.

Maurine McCourry, director of the library, said the extension will add classrooms, restrooms, study spaces, and reception areas.

“We can seat fewer than 400 people in the library at any one time,” McCourry said. “It would be ideal if at least half the student body could be here at any one time to study.”

McCourry said the school hopes to begin the west addition as soon as possible.

The second library addition will expand the south side of the library.

“The administrative area of the library would pretty much stay the same,” McCourry said.

She said the Heritage Room would either be expanded or moved and enlarged.

“It would be a much bigger reading room but in the same style,” she said. “It would be very classic, comfortable, warm, inviting space with lots of books. The books in that area would probably all be behind glass just as most of them are in the Heritage Room right now.”

McCourry said the school also plans to renovate the interior of the library at some point in the future. The library has not had new carpet or paint since 1994, and much of the furniture is from the ’70s or the ’90s.

“It’s literally falling apart,” she said. “We’re having to throw away chairs that just fall to pieces and can’t even be repaired.”

The school also plans to add more outlets and refresh the library’s style, according to McCourry.

“I am hoping for a much more classic look and a much warmer look,” she said. “I personally would like to see a little bit more of the Heritage Room-type feel brought into the library.”

McCourry said the library also needs space to display collections such as Sir Martin Gilbert’s book collection.

Péwé said the college will renovate the Old Snack Bar and move the admissions offices into the new space, which will include offices and rooms for interviews and larger group presentations.

The college will also extend the back of Central Hall and double the size of the building, according to Péwé. The architecture of the extension will complement the front of the building and Christ Chapel, he said.

Sophomore Anna Teply said she believes the college is being very purposeful about making the campus cohesive.

“I appreciate the effort that the college is putting into creating a beautiful environment for us to learn in,” she said.