WKU News

Western Kentucky University broke ground today on The Southern Gateway, the first phase of Elevate WKU, a multi-year initiative to transform student housing and create modern, student-centered living environments across the Hill.

The roughly 1,000-bed residential complex replaces Hugh Poland and Douglas Keen Halls, two of WKU’s oldest residence halls, on the same site. Demolition of Poland and Keen Halls began during the summer and concluded earlier in the fall semester. The university expects to open the new facility in fall 2028.

The Southern Gateway represents an investment of approximately $350 million that includes construction of the new residence hall, defeasance of Student Life Foundation debt and significant repairs and renovations to existing facilities. The project is being developed through an innovative public-private partnership between WKU and Gilbane, a national leader in campus housing development.

“Today is an important milestone for WKU and for generations of Hilltoppers who will call this campus home,” said WKU President Timothy C. Caboni. “Elevate WKU is about more than replacing aging buildings. It is about creating residential environments that strengthen the WKU Experience, support student success and reflect what students and families expect from modern university housing.”

The Southern Gateway is designed around flexibility, community and connection. The new facility will offer a mix of private and semi-private suite-style rooms, giving students greater choice in their living options. Residential floors will feature lounges and shared spaces designed to encourage interaction and community, while substantial common areas on the ground floor will provide additional opportunities for students to gather, study and connect with one another.

Designed to feel less like a traditional residence hall and more like a destination built specifically around the student experience, The Southern Gateway will bring together the comforts of home, the energy of a vibrant campus community and spaces dedicated to student success. Students will have access to community kitchens, a 24-hour study area, new dining options and a multipurpose classroom supporting the further expansion of the WKU’s Living Learning Communities (LLCs), connecting students’ residential and academic experiences. From modern technology and updated key-access systems to ice machines and water bottle filling stations, the facility is designed to make everyday life more comfortable while creating more opportunities for students to connect, collaborate and build community. The result will be a residence hall designed not simply to house students, but to become an integral part of their WKU experience.

Student input has been an important part of the planning process. A campus-wide housing survey conducted in fall 2025 drew responses from 16% of current students, while WKU has conducted housing and dining focus groups since early 2025. Student feedback will continue to inform future phases of Elevate WKU, and residents will have opportunities to provide feedback through satisfaction surveys each semester.

“Students told us what they want their residential experience to look and feel like, and we listened,” President Caboni said. “Their input helped shape decisions about privacy, community spaces and affordability, and that input will continue to guide Elevate WKU.”

Gilbane, founded in 1870, brings extensive experience in higher education housing and campus infrastructure projects. The company has developed more than 55,000 student housing beds across more than 100 campuses nationwide. Gilbane was selected through a competitive request for proposals process based on its integrated approach to design, financing, construction, sustainability and long-term operations.

“Today’s groundbreaking is a bold and exciting step forward for the entire campus community at WKU,” said Geoff Eisenacher, Gilbane Development’s Vice President of Development. “Elevate WKU is redefining the student residential experience – creating spaces that feel supportive, connected and intentionally designed around how students live and learn. We’re proud and honored to partner with WKU in launching a community that will enhance the Hilltopper experience.”

The Southern Gateway was designed by Mackey Mitchell Architects, a nationally respected architecture planning firm with extensive experience in higher education and student housing. The firm has worked on campus projects including those at the University of Arkansas, Syracuse University and Penn State. WKU released renderings of The Southern Gateway in February of this year.

Elevate WKU represents the next chapter in the university’s approach to providing high-quality residential experiences for students. Since 1999, WKU residence halls have been constructed and owned by the Student Life Foundation, a nonprofit organization established to address campus housing needs during a period of aging facilities and limited state funding.

Through the public-private partnership model with Gilbane, WKU will maintain oversight of mission-driven priorities tied to student experience and academic outcomes while leveraging the financing, development and construction expertise of a private partner.

The Southern Gateway is the first phase of a broader housing transformation plan that will address additional residence hall upgrades, explore new living learning models and further align residential facilities with WKU’s academic mission and student success goals.

“Breaking ground today is the beginning of something much bigger than just one building,” President Caboni said. “The Southern Gateway launches a new standard for what residential life can and will be at WKU, and Elevate WKU gives us a pathway to continue that work across campus. We are investing in the places where Hilltoppers live, learn and build relationships that make their time with us meaningful.”

More information, including renderings and a video of the new residence hall, can be found at www.wku.edu/elevate.

• Photos from the groundbreaking ceremony

Contact: Jace Lux, (270) 745-4295

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Western Kentucky University prides itself on positioning its students, faculty and staff for long term success. As a student-centered, applied research university, WKU helps students expand on classroom learning by integrating education with real-world applications in the communities we serve. Our hilltop campus is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, which was recently named by Reader’s Digest as one of the nicest towns in America, just an hour’s drive from Nashville, Tennessee.