Work starts next month on Bryan apartments

DAYTON, Tenn. -- Growing enrollment has forced Bryan College to further expand its on-campus student housing.

Bryan will break ground on a 66-bed student apartment complex in January, The buildings will be finished before school begins in August, officials said.

The small Christian liberal arts college already is bunking several students three per room because of limited space.

"The alternative to building (new residence facilities) is increasing the number of triples or simply telling students, 'We have no room for you,'" said Tim Hostetler, vice president of operations at Bryan.

The apartment-style residence halls will be the first phase of development on the northwest side of the campus, where officials hope to build a new entrance, said Bryan President Stephen Livesay.

"This project serves several needs of the college, the greatest of which is residential space," said Dr. Livesay. "I believe it will also provide an attractive first view of the campus as visitors drive up the new entrance."

In the women's residence halls, 16 rooms have been converted to triple occupancy. Six rooms in the men's halls have been converted to triples, said Mr. Hostetler.

"We anticipate an increase in enrollment next year as we are adding golf for men and women, softball and cheerleading," he said.

This fall, 793 students enrolled at Bryan, a jump of 5.9 percent from last year.

The residence hall is being designed by Lewis Group architects of Knoxville and will cost $1.6 million. That's less than half the cost of Bryan's last residence hall, Robinson Hall, which opened in fall 2006, Mr. Hostetler said.

Plans include two row-house style buildings, one with seven apartments and the other with five. Buildings will be constructed with the same brick and precast concrete features as other buildings on campus, he said.

Every apartment will be arranged like a suite and have three two-person bedrooms, two baths, a kitchen and living room, said Dr. Livesay.

Bryan has never offered apartment-style housing, and Dr. Livesay said he thinks it will be an important training ground for junior- and senior-level students.

"This is an opportunity for us to help our students as they transition from college students to independent adults," he said. "Upper-level students living in these apartments will not have to be on the meal plan, and they will have living rooms where they can entertain friends."

To live in the new on-campus apartments, students must meet certain academic requirements, which college officials and residence life staff are working to establish.

"There may be requirements such as grade point average, the number of academic hours they have earned and a review of any disciplinary matters for students who wish to live there," Dr. Livesay said.