Construction projects demonstrate Longwood’s commitment to a residential college experience
French Hall is the new home of Information Technology Services.
The steady hum of construction continues to provide the backdrop for campus life at Longwood. While several smaller projects have been completed, the centerpieces that will come to define the heart of campus are still taking shape.
Already a new environmental research laboratory at Lancer Park is bustling with multiple biological research projects that give Longwood students opportunities aplenty for hands-on research in an exploding field. Renovations to the interior of Willett Hall—the home of the men’s and women’s basketball teams and the popular kinesiology program—and a new roof on Dorrill Dining Hall are complete, returning two of the most heavily used buildings on campus to full function.
One of the most visible projects in recent years, the renovation of French Hall—one of the core four Jeffersonian buildings that make up the oldest part of campus—is now complete, as well. Inside the stately brick exterior is a modern, high-tech facility outfitted with the latest in information technology. The building again buzzes with life.
A new academic building and new admissions building are currently in the design phase. The planned site for the academic building is behind French Hall, while the new admissions building will occupy a spot in the same area as the existing Crafts House.
Finally, three projects in the heart of campus are nearing major construction phases. Each will reinforce Longwood’s commitment to the value of a residential campus community.
Norman H. and Elsie Stossel Upchurch University Center
After deconstruction of the Cunningham dormitories was completed earlier this year, the site was prepared for upcoming work, which will begin in the fall 2015
semester. Main building construction will start in 2016, and the center, which will quickly become a thriving hub of campus life, is scheduled to be complete in 2017.
“When it’s complete, the Upchurch University Center will be a natural work and social gathering spot for students right in the center of campus,” said Dr. Tim Pierson, vice president for student affairs. “A true hub designed to meet the needs of tomorrow’s student is something that has been lacking on our campus, but this building will meet those needs and more. It is a much-anticipated and critical part of the growth of Longwood.”
Sophomore Residence Hall
Further proof of Longwood’s commitment to a human-scale residential campus experience that both fosters academic achievement and brings students together in a true community is the new sophomore residence hall. The twin buildings situated in the ARC quad near the geographic center of campus are under construction and slated to be open for the start of the 2016-17 academic year.
Student Success Center
A center equipped with the resources students need to reach their full potential will soon stand over the entrance to the campus parking garage between Lankford Hall and Greenwood Library. Students who enter the center will be met with supportive staff and plenty of opportunities to get the help they need. The center is slated to open by the spring 2017 semester.—Matthew McWilliams