Lawrence Tech To Build $11.6 Million Dorm
SOUTHFIELD (WWJ) -- Construction will start in the spring on the third residence hall at Lawrence Technological University's Southfield campus.
The $11.6 million project is scheduled for completion in time for fall classes in 2015.
The Southfield City Council has approved the university's plan, and LTU's board of trustees gave the green light for the project at a meeting last week.
The 47,545-square-foot, two-story building will have a capacity of 160 students. It will be located north of LTU's current North Housing residence hall and will face the university's largest parking lot and the Northwestern Highway service drive. It will have a 4,000-square-foot partial basement for mechanical systems and storage.
Lawrence Tech currently has capacity for 600 of its 4,500 students at its two residence halls.
University Housing Solutions and Adena Corp., both of Mansfield, Ohio, are the developer-design-builder and construction manager for the project, respectively. JPRA Architects of Farmington Hills developed the plans and are the architects of record.
The new residence hall will have five pods with 16 double-occupancy units. Each pod in the new building will have its own common lounge with fireplace and kitchenette space complete with range, refrigerator, and microwave appliances. Amenities include cafes and retail space on the first floor, central laundry on both floors, a multi-purpose room, a game room, and two
conference spaces.
"The building is designed to encourage students to be out of their rooms with plenty of space for interaction and collaboration," said LTU president Virinder Moudgil. "One of the goals is to get new students involved in campus life by fostering collegiality on a regular basis.".
Lawrence Tech says its addition of varsity athletic programs and more student activities has created a greater demand for on-campus housing. During the current academic year, LTU is leasing residential suites for 80 students at Arbor Lofts, an apartment complex near campus on Civic Center Drive in Southfield.
"We anticipate 100 percent occupancy when we open our new residential hall in 2015," said LTU Dean of Students Kevin Finn. "We look forward to having more students living on campus."
The building will be underwritten with a bond through PNC Bank.
LTU is a private university founded in 1932 that offers more than 100 programs through the doctoral level in its Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Engineering, and Management. PayScale lists Lawrence Tech among the nation's top 7 percent of universities for return on undergraduate tuition investment, and highest in the Detroit metropolitan area. Lawrence Tech is also listed in the top tier of Midwestern universities by U.S. News and World Report and the Princeton Review.
Activities on Lawrence Tech's 102-acre campus include over 60 student clubs and organizations and a growing roster of NAIA varsity sports.
More at www.ltu.edu.
