After nine years of planning, a date is in sight for the new University of Wyoming residence halls.
The project costs $250 million and promises to bring a better quality of living to the UW campus.
“It has a big impact on how the campus is organized; how transportation works, how parking works,” UW architect Matthew Newman said
“There are things an actual housing project can do to make our students successful, and we wanted to integrate that.”
The new dorms will replace the ones initially built-in 1967.
The south hall will sit at the intersection with Willet Drive and the north hall at the intersection with Lewis Street.
“The dorms are strategically placed to bring students closer to on-campus resources that can improve their experiences, like Half Acre Recreation and Wellness Center, the student union, and Coe Library,” Newman said.
The new dorms will include various layouts, a game room, classrooms, study rooms, and a community kitchen space.
A new dining center will also be made and will be attached to the north residence hall.
The main goal of the renovation is to bring students closer to green space and away from the concrete surrounding the current dorms.
The project will lead to demolishing the parking lots outside the union and recreation center to make room for the green space.
The UW team also plans to construct a roundabout on 15th Street and Willett Drive to help campus traffic.
Parents at the UW Lab school have protested this roundabout, worrying about how they will get their kids to school on time.
Newman said that the university is in contact with city staff to work through some of these issues.
“I think (this project) does bode well for our shared community and our town and gown relationship,” Mayor Paul Weaver said.
“I think it’s worth mentioning that there probably will be substantial controversy around aspects of the 15th Street project.”
Weaver said that the city would work through these problems with community members and the Board of Trustees at the univeristy.
“I think it’s important for the city of Laramie to know that the university is modernizing and updating its on-campus housing to stay competitive in attracting new students,” Weaver said.
