Orange City, Iowa — A northwest Iowa institution of higher learning will be breaking ground for a new campus building later this month.
Officials with Northwestern College in Orange City tell us they will break ground for a new residence hall during a noon ceremony Friday, April 21. Members of the public are invited to join dignitaries, students, faculty and staff for a brief program at the future site of the dorm, which will be located northwest of the DeWitt Learning Commons, where Kepp Hall used to stand. Over the years, since its construction in the 1950s, Kepp served as housing for single students, married students, and office space, but was demolished to make way for the new residence hall.
The new three-story building will house 157 women in suite-style rooms and is expected to be ready for occupancy by August 2024. The estimated cost for the 45,000-square-foot facility is $14 million, with final fundraising nearing completion, according to Northwestern officials.
Julie Elliott, vice president for student life, praises the design for offering students “the best of both worlds”—the privacy of their own bathrooms in each suite, and the community that will be fostered in large, bright lounges that will anchor the center of the building on each floor.
At the ceremony, Tricia Vermeer, chair of the college’s board of trustees, will announce the name of the new residence hall prior to participating in the ceremonial shovel turning with other Northwestern officials.
