During the past year, the College reached its highest deficit regarding the number of student beds available. Many students have occasionally run into construction sites while navigating campus in the past couple of years. These sites are a part of the College of William and Mary’s Housing and Dining Comprehensive Facilities Plan, which aligns with the College’s Vision 2026 plan.
Through Vision 2026, the College aims to modernize campus residences and facilities to create spaces optimal for academic success and to address environmental issues through sustainability goals.
At the end of the plan, no additional beds will be added — campus housing will continue with the same original 5,000 beds across dorms. Beginning with 70 individual residence halls, the extensive developments will provide 55 newly-improved residence halls with full air conditioning and ventilation. The development of the West One Dining facility will also maintain the estimated 1,700 dining seats for students.
Some students are concerned about the lack of additional beds that the new housing development plan will contribute. Kalea Wen ’26 expressed her worry.
“I think it’s nice that the quality of beds will improve, but I do think it’s a little suboptimal that we’re not ending with any additional beds,” Wen said. “I feel like a lot of people have to look for off-campus housing in their junior and senior year and that’s not always the easiest.”
According to Wen, the College has problems with scarce housing, pushing students to look for off-campus options. One question that students may be asking about the new plan is whether it will solve the housing deficit. While newly improved housing is a bonus, distress remains when anticipating the amount of beds that will be available.
The Housing and Dining Comprehensive Facilities Plan aims to increase students’ satisfaction with their overall college experience and motivate them to engage with faculty and become more involved on campus, strengthening their connection with the campus community.
The first phase to reaching this goal of increased student satisfaction on campus includes several projects involving construction, demolition and renovation. According to the spring 2022 phasing strategy, Reves, Willis, Hunt and Brown Halls will also be demolished alongside Green and Gold Village during phase one of the development. Additionally, the Campus Center site will be cleared for construction.
Construction of Cedar Hall began in January and will be the last building in a triangle-shaped residential area connected to Lemon and Hardy Halls. The building will maintain the architectural styles of Jefferson and Barrett Halls. The building will be three stories tall with an attic space, and all three buildings will be connected through a triangular courtyard. Cedar Hall’s expected completion date is July 2025, with a cost of $45 million. The new hall should hold around 200 beds for students.
The renovation of Monroe Hall began in June 2023 with its completion in August 2024. The renovation includes new interior and exterior doors, roof system, HVAC system, plumbing pipes, windows, fire and electrical systems and other interior amenities. The recently updated hall also includes additional common areas for students. The cost of renovations is $22.8 million. Similar renovations will be made on Old Dominion Hall, which began in June and will be completed in August 2025 at an additional cost of $26.7 million.
The West One Dining and Housing development consists of a five-building complex. Four resident halls — Oak Hall, Poplar Hall, Maple Hall and Pine Hall — will be built, along with the West Woods Commons Dining Hall. Construction began in June 2023 and will be finished in 2025. The West One Housing Complex should hold around 700 beds following its completion.
The estimated cost of projects under phase one of the development is $320 million.
“This is the most construction to have taken place at one time on William and Mary’s campus, and it’s part of a larger, bigger push of construction around Williamsburg,” Assistant Vice President for Business Affairs Sean Hughes said.
The College is collaborating with the City of Williamsburg throughout the construction of new facilities. In addition to its collaboration with the city, the College is working hard to maintain the architectural integrity and styles of older buildings, specifically those embodying the Georgian architectural style.
In terms of managing the impact of construction and renovation on student life and campus operations, measures are being taken to ensure that campus life can continue with minimal disruptions. One of the efforts being implemented includes setting defined work hours for construction. Construction sites, previously and moving forward, will be closed temporarily for major campus events, such as commencement and homecoming. Discussions have also been held to ensure minimal disruptions occur at construction sites near student housing. For example, construction hours should be avoided during mornings at sites such as the West One housing complex and Cedar Hall. However, some disruptions may still occur depending on how difficult it is to avoid the noisy nature of construction work.
The new facilities will comply with the Sustainability Measures of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, achieving at least a silver rating. The buildings will be better insulated and incorporate geothermal technology. The new dorms will save around 60% in energy savings, a drastic increase compared to dorms preceding the housing and dining plan.
“Learning Spaces and Housing and Dining each have an expected 10 year outlook, with Landscape at an expansive 100 years,” the Campus Comprehensive Planning Committee Student Representatives said in an email sent to the campus community by Student Assembly President Terra Sloane ’25. “This is a new initiative that will be coming to our campus; William & Mary is intentionally incorporating learning and green spaces as foundational elements of the Comprehensive Campus Plan.”
The Housing and Dining Comprehensive Plan will provide the same number of student beds, with the difference being newly renovated and energy-efficient dormitories and a dining facility. Students will soon be met with greater quality housing, but they may still grapple with the availability of on- and off-campus housing.
