David C. Hardesty Jr. was a young undergraduate student in the 1960s when West Virginia University built its last residence hallsfour multistory buildings commonly referred to as Towers.

Now WVU president, Hardesty led the University community today (Aug. 30) in breaking ground for the first of two new residence halls that are the cornerstones of a long-term campus housing plan designed to meet the needs of todays technologically savvy students.

My undergraduate years were a time of tremendous growth for the University, as it expanded to serve the baby-boom generation,Hardesty told those attending the ceremony.The Evansdale Residential Complexs Towers are the legacy of that expansion.

The new residence hall we are building is a sign of our commitment to keeping pace with the academic, recreational and residential needs of our students, now and in the years to come,he added.

The 351-bed facility will sit between University and Rawley avenues near the ERC . Proximity to the Personal Rapid Transit, Student Recreation Center and ERC dining facility were key factors in choosing the Evansdale location.

The four-floor, 80,000-square-foot residence hall will feature suites of two double-occupancy rooms with connecting baths; a commons area; mini theater; laundry; learning center; study lounges on each floor; and high-speed Internet and phone connections throughout.

Space for a Resident Faculty Leader, a respected faculty member who lives near students to mentor and guide them, will also be provided.

Plans call for completing the $14.5 million facility prior to the fall 2006 semester.

This new residence hall was designed incorporating input from a detailed student survey and student focus group,said Vice President for Student Affairs Ken Gray, adding that the first residents will be members of next years freshman class.

The facility will generate additional jobs, including residence hall coordinator, resident assistants, main desk secretary, night staff and facilities support staff.

American Campus Communities, a prominent provider of student housing services to colleges and universities, is the developer for the project. Craycroft Price Architects of Texas designed the facility, and Whiting-Turner of Baltimore is the contractor.

The project is part of a 10-year housing improvement plan that includes construction of another new hall with approximately the same number of beds on the Downtown Campus, next to Summit Hall, and renovations to the four existing towers.

Construction on the downtown hall will begin next fall, and renovations to Towers will follow each year thereafter.

Once completed, there will be 700 more spaces, bringing the housing capacity to more than 5,200.

The housing plan addresses WVU s growing student enrollment, which is expected to reach 28,500 on the Morgantown campus by 2010, and changing housing trends among students. It also underscores the Universitys commitment to the first-year experiencea package of programs aimed at easing studentstransition from high school to college life.

The new and renovated facilities are expected to be more appealing to both students and parents, providing greater technology access, larger living accommodations, more privacy in bathrooms, personalization options in furnishings and dining, enhanced security programs and other amenities.

There is an increased trend nationally to build suite-style student housing that is more private and offers such features as study lounges and Internet access. James Madison University, the University of Central Florida, the University of Georgia and the University of South Florida St. Petersburg are just some of the higher education institutions that have built or are in the process of building such facilities.