After being on schedule for most of the summer, construction of the new residence hall at the University of Lynchburg experienced some delays in recent weeks. Because of these delays, students who registered to live in the new building will live in another location at the beginning of the semester.
Dr. Aaron Smith, vice president and dean for student development, announced the change in emails to students, faculty, and staff on Tuesday, August 6, 2019.
“We want your living experience in the new residence hall to be the best possible from day one,” he said in an email to students who will live in the new building. “Unfortunately, over the past few weeks we have experienced some construction delays, and we know we will need a little extra time to perfect all of the rooms and community spaces.”
The University of Lynchburg partnered with neighboring Liberty University to house students in a Liberty-owned facility called the Annex. A former hotel, the Annex has been used as a student residential facility in the past, and Liberty offered it freely for the University of Lynchburg to use in case it was needed.
Students who registered to live in the new residence hall will move in to the Annex over the next few weeks, beginning with fall athletes and other early-arrival students. The University of Lynchburg will provide security, frequent bus transportation, some food options, and activities at the Annex.
When the new residence hall is ready in early September, the University will provide moving assistance.
Students and their parents with questions about the Annex can contact the Office of Housing and Residence Life at residencelife@lynchburg.edu.
Below is the email that Smith sent to students to announce the change. It was followed by an email from Associate Dean of Students Kristen Cooper with the students’ room assignments and additional details.
I’m excited that you chose to be a part of the student community that will help us open our new residence hall this fall. I hope you are excited, too!
I am writing to share important information regarding the opening of the new building. We want your living experience in the new residence hall to be the best possible from day one. Unfortunately, over the past few weeks we have experienced some construction delays, and we know we will need a little extra time to perfect all of the rooms and community spaces.
We have arranged for all of the students who signed up to live in the new residence hall to live temporarily in the Annex, a former hotel that has been converted into student housing on Odd Fellows Road in Lynchburg. Liberty University, which owns the Annex, has made it free for our use, and staff from Liberty and from University of Lynchburg have been preparing the site for your arrival.
When you arrive, according to your move-in schedule, you will move into the Annex. The University will provide frequent bus transportation between the Annex and campus, as well as 24/7 security, residence life assistance, and some food services on site.
Our goal is to make your experience in the Annex as positive an experience as possible. But we also want it to be brief, so we are going to work hard to have the new residence hall ready as soon as possible. When that time comes, we will help you move into your new room quickly and efficiently.
Please watch for an email soon from Kristen Cooper, Associate Dean and Director of Housing and Residence Life, with more details about the Annex. She and her team can best address your questions.
I’m excited to see this new residence hall community come together this semester. The new hall will be the premier living facility on campus. Together, we will create a positive atmosphere that sets the tone for this building for years to come.
It’s a great day to be a Hornet!
~Dean Smith
The new, 90,000 square-foot building sits beside Shellenberger Field. McWane Hall, built in the 1960s, was taken down at the site in May 2018. The new residence hall includes modern amenities, semi-suite living spaces, lounges and balconies overlooking the field, and a rooftop terrace. It also will be the home of the Westover Honors College at the University of Lynchburg.
