College announces delay in completion of three new residential buildings, temporary housing reassignment for 900 students

Thursday, July 31, the College of William and Mary announced via email release to affected students that there will be a delay in the completion of three residential buildings until mid to late October. These three buildings – Cedar Hall, Pine Hall and Oak Hall – were originally planned to be delivered in time for the start of the fall 2025 semester as part of phase one in the College’s 10-year housing and dining development plan. Now, the dorms will not be able to welcome students until mid-to-late October, according to Executive VP for Finance and Administration Mike Todd. 

In an interview with The Flat Hat, Senior Vice President for Student Affairs & Public Safety Ginger Ambler ’88, Ph.D. ’06 shared that the two other residential halls in the West Woods complex, Maple Hall and Poplar Hall, will be finished as scheduled prior to the start of the semester.

An estimated 900 total students will be affected by the delayed completion of Cedar, Pine and Oak Halls, according to Chief Business Officer Sean Hughes. Students assigned to the delayed halls will be temporarily housed in both on-campus and off-campus facilities.

In the email to affected students, Todd announced that freshman residents will be prioritized for Green and Gold Village and Richmond Hall, so they can remain on campus. Upperclassman residents will mostly be relocated to the Williamsburg Woodlands Hotel and Suites in Colonial Williamsburg. The College has partnered with the Woodlands Hotel in the past for unforeseen housing needs, as well as summer programs.

Todd shared that students will receive their specific housing assignments in an email next week, along with further details on the move-in process. 

A free charter bus service will be provided to transport students between campus and the Woodlands Hotel, which will run regularly throughout the day. Hughes specified that Oleta Coach Lines, a professional charter bus company, has been hired to run the shuttle buses. According to the College’s website, the shuttles will run every 30 minutes, Monday through Friday, from 7am to 8pm. The on-campus drop-off locations will be the Sadler Center and Commons Dining Hall. 

Todd specified that roommate pairings will remain the same in temporary housing. Resident Assistants will also be assigned to the same halls as their residents in the temporary locations. 

Living-learning communities such as the Global Village, slated to be housed in Pine Hall, and Sharpe Community Scholars, slated to be in Cedar Hall, will also be temporarily relocated. Ambler detailed these temporary housing plans in an email to The Flat Hat.

“The Global Village living-learning communities will be assigned to The Woodlands, clustered together as the building structure allows,” Ambler wrote. “Sharpe Scholars will be temporarily housed in Green & Gold Village in Lion K, Lion L and Lion M.”

Nathan Birdwell ’27 was originally assigned to live in the Global Village, located in Pine Hall, as part of the German House. Birdwell shared his reaction to the construction delay and temporary reassignment, including its effect on the Global Village, which launches this fall for the first time. 

“As they’ve been working on these dorms for almost two full years I would think they would be able to finish them in time, especially with people assigned to occupy these rooms this fall,” Birdwell wrote. “However I am also not surprised that they aren’t finished as there’s been a lot of talk with them not being finished on the scheduled time. This is honestly upsetting because it heavily impacts the community that comes with living in language housing.”

The College also detailed a rebate plan that will be provided to the affected students, spanning from the beginning of the semester to the date they move into West Woods.

“Students will receive $22.50 per day for each day in temporary housing,” Todd wrote. “This is 50% of the daily cost of room rent. The total rebate amount will be credited to student accounts in one lump sum by the end of fall semester.”

Once the three buildings are completed and ready to accommodate their assigned students, professional moving services will be provided to help students transfer their belongings to the new dorms. 

Hughes explained that there was not a singular reason for the construction delays, but rather an amalgamation of factors that ultimately led to Pine, Oak and Cedar Halls not being delivered on time. Although it was stated during the Board of Visitors meeting in April that these residential projects were on track to be finished before the fall semester, determinants such as inspections, subcontractors, weather, and material availability have all contributed to delays in completion.

“These things together, especially on a complex multi-building project like this one, can create a domino effect which results in delayed deliveries,” Hughes wrote to The Flat Hat. “These compounding factors have created delays here. There is no one factor that was make or break on the scheduled deliveries.” 

The College projects that Cedar, Pine and Oak Halls will be completed in “mid to late October,” but the tentative completion date “is subject to change,” according to Todd. The news of the dorm construction delay follows an announcement last month regarding the West Woods Dining Hall opening being deferred until January 2026.

Sara Wilson ’27, a transfer student to the College in spring 2024, was assigned to live in Pine Hall as part of the Japanese House. She also shared her reaction to the update.

“Though this news about my fall housing isn’t great, I appreciate W&M’s clear communication and professionalism,” Wilson wrote. “Personally, I’m in one of the Global Village communities, so it’ll be interesting to see how each of the language houses manage to foster cultural exchange while we wait for Pine Hall to open.”

The College also published an FAQ page after the email release which includes information for affected students. The website provides details on several areas of concern, such as housing for students with accommodations, as well as options to request a room change through the housing portal. The College specified that alternative housing options are “limited at this time.”

“While disappointed these buildings are delayed, we look forward to welcoming students in these wonderful new living spaces soon and know they will serve William & Mary’s students well for decades to come,” Todd wrote to the Flat Hat.