Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Northwestern College Breaks Ground on New Residence Hall

  • By Matt Jones
  • 05/10/23

Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, recently broke ground on a new, all-women’s residence hall, according to local news. The three-story facility will measure in at 45,000 square feet and cost an estimated $14 million. It will have the capacity for 157 beds and consist of two wings with two dorms on each side, as well as a large central gathering area and other common spaces on each floor. Construction is scheduled to begin in the first week of May and be complete by July 2024, local news reports.

“We can’t do without the facility that we have now, so this building will be constructed now and be ready by the summer of 2024,” said Northwestern College President Greg Christy. “So we’ll keep Colter Brenner Hall online until then, and then when we move into this new facility, we’ll take [it] down after we’ve moved into this new residence hall.” Christy cited increasing recruitment numbers as the cause for both building the new residence hall and keeping the old one active as long as possible.

The college also announced that the new residence hall will be named Christy Suites in honor of its president and his wife, Michelle. According to a college news release, the decision was made in response to a request from the project’s lead donors. Christy has served as president of Northwestern for fifteen years and has led efforts to construct or renovate ten new buildings and increase enrollment to a record 1,712 students, the release reports.

“I was speechless,” said Greg Christy. “I am deeply humbled and honored that they would think of doing something in honor of Michelle and me. It’s been a real honor to serve an institution that holds Christ-centered ideals. We have a very supportive board of trustees and dedicated and talented faculty and staff. Michelle and I believe deeply in the mission of Northwestern, and we believe deeply in our faculty and staff. It’s just a privilege to serve alongside them.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Houston-Area High School Receives Best Project Award from ENR

    Tomball West High School near Houston, Texas, recently received a K–12 Education Best Project Award in Engineering News-Record’s 2026 Texas & Southeast Best Projects Awards, according to a press release. The new facility was completed in May and opened its doors to students for the fall 2026 semester.

  • Construction Begins on 100+ Acre K–12 Campus Designed for Lakota Culture

    The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (CRST) and the Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School District in Eagle Butte, S.D., recently broke ground on a new K–12 campus that will cover more than 100 acres and serve students and families across 1,600 square miles, according to a news release.

  • Cleveland High School Breaks Ground on Modernization

    Portland Public Schools in Portland, Ore., recently announced that construction has begun on a modernization project for Cleveland High School, according to a news release. The existing building will be replaced with a new, 300,000-square-foot facility at the same site.

  • University of Washington Opens New Broadcast Studio

    The University of Washington in Seattle, Wash., recently announced the opening of Sundodger Studios, a new broadcast, production, and content facility, according to a news release. The university partnered with Anthony James Partners for the design and development of the studio, which will host about 100 live broadcasts and 120 live videoboard shows per year.