University of Wyoming Master Plan sets a clear goal for the demolition of Orr, McIntyre, Downey, White Hall, and the Washakie Dining Center.
Forest Selmer, Executive Director of UW Operations, said that Master Plans are subject to change with both the cycle of presidents and the reassessment of student needs.
“First things first, let’s get the new stuff built, see how enrollment is, and then reassess our needs because there might be some other uses for those resident halls.”
One such example is Crane and Hill Hall, which will continue to be utilized as an academic and office space.
However, the 2020 UW Master Plan states that the current dormitories do not reflect ‘contemporary standards’ for student housing.
While these ‘contemporary standards’ are not defined, the UW Master Plan outlines expectations for social spaces and sustainability for the construction of new dormitories.
“With the new West campus plant in place and the new buildings are going to have better thermal wall resistance, I think we will see a substantial drop in utility costs,” Selmer said.
The first phase of new construction is the new north dormitory located on the corner of 15th and Lewis, which will provide living space for 434 students as well as hold a new dining facility.
A sister dormitory will be located next to the Half Acre Recreation and Wellness Center and house 466 students.
These new structures combined meet half of the legislative goal to provide 2,000 beds.
According to Selmer, the current plan is to have the first occupants in the new dorms by fall of 2026.
“The biggest drive is to keep things close to the core campus,” Selmer said. “Matter of fact they’ve looked at resurrecting Ross and Knight Hall and that may still happen.”
The other half of this goal is reliant on the proposed restoration of Knight, Ross, Hoyt, and McWhinnie Hall.
“The biggest hurdle, when you do a renovation, is getting rid of hazardous materials,” Selmer said. “We still have asbestos pipe installations around.”
Once these buildings have been brought up to safety expectations, possible renovation plans include creating community areas and study spaces and improving the privacy of bathrooms.
Other plausible configurations include a three-floor addition to Knight Hall, a new lounge in Ross Hall, and an exterior entrance to a faculty area in McWhinnie Hall.
“Obviously the University needs to make progress,” Gracelyn Troxell, a freshman, said. “And living spaces for students is one of the ways they’re going to do that.”
Troxell said that while she understands why the demolition of these buildings will occur, the campus community will lose some of its commonality.
“It’s also kind of sad because I have teachers that have said ‘Oh when I was a freshman I lived in McIntyre,’ so these buildings are, in a way, historic to campus,” Troxell said.
