Groundbreaking ceremonies at 1 p.m. Thursday, May 13, will mark the official start of construction on a third new student residence hall in four years at Wayne State University. Located in the heart of the WSU campus, on Anthony Wayne Drive across from the Faculty/Administration Building and adjacent to the Student Center Building, the newest structure on the WSU campus will provide housing for 934 upper-level undergraduate students, as well as post-graduate students, when it opens for the school year that begins in August 2005.

The $51.5 million Phase III residential building to consist of an 11-story and two nine-story towers - will include a 400-seat dining room and a mini-fitness facility for occupants. To enhance the learning experience, students will be assigned to rooms in groupings corresponding to their academic discipline.

Suite-style dwelling rooms, multiple laundry facilities, an electronic security system, and areas for socializing and study are among other amenities. There will be approximately 12,000 square feet available on the ground floor for retail space.

"We know from continuing discussions and feedback that a significant number of students and prospective students prefer to reside on campus," Wayne State President Irvin D. Reid points out. "Living on campus affords the advantage of proximity to the numerous academic, cultural and recreational facilities available on and near the campus, while also enabling students to immerse themselves more fully in the university experience."

Combined with two other recently constructed residential facilities (North Hall and South Hall) located just a half-block away, the Phase III residential building will bring the total number of new beds added by Wayne State this decade to almost 1,800. The three new housing facilities enable the university to offer WSU students a traditional room-and-board arrangement for the first time in decades. The university also operates several buildings that feature apartment-style living.

The new residential hall was designed by Hamilton Anderson, and the construction firm is Walbridge Aldinger in partnership with Devon Industrial Group. The building is located on the site of the former Helen Newberry Joy Building, which housed administrative offices that have been moved to other locations on campus. The aging structure was razed earlier this year.

Wayne State University is a premier institution of higher education offering more than 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to more than 33,000 students.