Completion of student apartments culminates six years of housing improvements

GOSHEN, Ind. – Goshen College announced completion Thursday of the second phase of a major apartment building – the culmination of a six-year initiative to improve housing to accommodate a growing number of students living on campus.

View photo albums of phase one and phase two of the Student Apartments under construction and completed.

What: Goshen College has completed a major addition to a four-story apartment-style building. It adds 93 single rooms in 25 apartments as well as a new main entrance from the east parking lot, an elevator and housing for an apartment manager. In addition, the college has converted the third and fourth floors of Coffman Hall, which was built in 1929, into small-group housing units by adding kitchens and bathrooms.  

When: Renovation of Coffman Hall took place over the summer and was completed for the fall semester; construction of the new apartments began last spring and was completed in December 2007.  

Cost: The new building and renovations of Coffman Hall were financed with a $6.4 million bond, which will be repaid over 30 years. The total cost of all residential renovations and new construction since 2002 was $18 million.  

Why: Enrollment growth and an increase of students living on campus.  

Total housing: Now that Phase 2 of the apartment building is complete, the college has 830 beds available for students.  

Learn more: To find out more about residency options at Goshen College call the Student Life Office at (574) 535-7543.

President James E. Brenneman said the college added 93 single rooms – in 25 apartments – to an existing four-story apartment building as well as a new main entrance from the east parking lot, an elevator providing ADA-accessibility to all units and a two-story townhouse-style unit for the apartment manager. The apartments feature well-appointed kitchens, living areas, bedrooms, bathrooms and some loft-style units with spiral staircases and scenic views on the fourth floor.

Brenneman also said the college completed a major renovation of the third and fourth floors of Coffman Hall, which was built in 1929 and housed a shirt factory during the Depression era. Coffman’s residence hall rooms, which were renovated over the summer, have been transformed into small-group housing units with the addition of bathrooms, kitchens and other amenities.

“Goshen College views residential facilities as among the most important spaces on campus to integrate learning with living,” Brenneman said. “Completion of this six-year initiative to build and renovate our facilities is a great step forward in providing excellent facilities for students and enhancing our vibrant campus life. Students now have more housing options, better amenities and more shared gathering spaces for study and community engagement.”

Brenneman said housing improvements have been underway since 2002 as part of continuing efforts to provide top-quality facilities for a growing enrollment and an increase in students living on campus.

A $6.4 million bond, which will be repaid over 30 years, financed the addition to the apartments and the renovations of Coffman Hall. The Coffman Hall renovations cost about $790,000.

Bill Born, vice president for student life and dean of students, said Goshen College had 617 residential students living on campus in fall 2007, compared with 447 in the fall 2002, when the housing improvements began. Even more students are expected to live on campus in fall 2008 when juniors and seniors can take greater advantage of housing options, Born said.

Born said Phase 1 of the apartment complex had 16 apartments and 25,000 square feet and was completed in August 2004. Phase 2, with construction completed in December 2007, added 39,900 square feet.

In addition to their amenities, the apartments were designed and built to lessen their impact on the environment. They feature low-emission construction materials and design decisions to maximize natural lighting with low-energy windows as well as the use of carpet tiles to decrease installation waste and replacement costs. Each apartment is fully heated and air-conditioned using energy-efficient water source heat pumps.

“Completing the apartments marks a culmination of many steps in improving residential life, fostering a greater sense of campus community and having more upper-class students living on campus. The apartments add to the housing options available to juniors and seniors as well as further support the sense of independence within community that they desire,” Born said.

“Goshen College is unique in that we provide a number of different housing options during the college years, from traditional halls to small group housing to apartment-style living. We offer housing options for students who are single, married or have families.”

As part of the overall plan to improve campus and community life, Born said the college increased the number of communal spaces, including a student-run coffee bar and lounges, as a way to encourage a greater sense of community. Students use the areas for study, recreation and relaxation with friends.

Design Collaborative, Inc., a Fort Wayne architectural firm, designed both phases of the student apartment project.

Ancon Construction Company Inc. of Goshen built both phases of the apartment-style residences. Ancon also built the college’s Roman Gingerich Recreation-Fitness Center in 1993. D.J. Construction Inc. of Goshen carried out the renovations of Coffman Hall during the summer 2007.

–By Richard R. Aguirre

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview with President Brenneman or Vice President Bill Born or to request a photo, contact Jodi Beyeler, director of the campus news bureau, at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu, or Richard R. Aguirre, director of public relations, at (574) 535-7571 or rraguirre@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.