Wayne State University, long known as a commuter college, wants a substantial number of its students to stop commuting.

General contractor Walbridge-Aldinger, a slew of subcontractors and more than 200 construction workers are in the process of building a combined nine- and eleven-story residence hall that will provide on-campus housing for 1,800 students. Two residence halls have already been erected nearby.

“This exciting venture is the third phase of new residential living here on campus,” said Wayne State University President Dr. Irvin Reid. Speaking to a small crowd at the building’s topping out ceremony on Nov. 29, Reid jokingly promised that the “Residence Hall – Phase III will have a name for it before any students move in.”

According to Wayne State, the $51.5 million residential building will include a 400-seat dining room and a mini-fitness facility for occupants. Students will be assigned to rooms in groupings corresponding to their academic discipline.

Suite-style dwelling rooms, multiple laundry facilities, an electronic security system, and areas for socializing and study are among other amenities. There will be approximately 12,000 square feet available on the ground floor for retail space.

“We know from continuing discussions and feedback that a significant number of students and prospective students prefer to reside on campus,” Reid said. “Living on campus affords the advantage of proximity to the numerous academic, cultural and recreational facilities available on and near the campus, while also enabling students to immerse themselves more fully in the university experience.”

Located along Anthony Wayne Drive north of Warren in Detroit, the new hall sits on a wide slab of 300,000 square feet. Construction started in April and work is expected to be complete in August 2005. The pre-cast concrete structure was topped out by Whitmore Steel, with the work of a number of Local 25 iron workers. As workers and guests signed the last beam with magic markers, Walbridge personnel made sure that no one signed the side that would be facing out.

“The precast has gone up well without any problems; the tricky part was the foundation,” said Walbridge-Aldinger Project Manager Terry Clemens. He said the four-foot-thick concrete “mat foundation” which extends under the footprint of the building was set in a single day. “We placed 4,800 yards of concrete, all in one day – a very busy Saturday,” he said.

Combined with two other recently constructed residential facilities (North Hall and South Hall) located just a half-block away, the Phase III residential building will bring the total number of new beds added by Wayne State this decade to almost 1,800. The three new housing facilities enable the university to offer WSU students a traditional room-and-board arrangement for the first time in decades. The university also operates several buildings that feature apartment-style living.

“The tradespeople have been great; they’ve done an excellent job,” Clemens said. “We’re right where we want to be.”

A NEW $51.5 MILLION residence hall is being constructed on the campus of Wayne State University in Detroit by general contractor Walbridge-Aldinger, their subs and the building trades.

A SHOWER BASE is wrestled into one of the residence hall's bathrooms by Andrew Morrison of Plumbers Local 98 and Guideline Mechanical.