Colby Makes Major Investment in Residential Program
A new residence hall and renovations will help build community connections
As part of its ongoing commitment to making stronger connections between the residential, academic, and community experience, Colby announced that it is investing a minimum of $150 million into its residential program over the next several years. This significant investment will include construction of a new residence hall as well as renovations and improvements to many of the College’s existing residential buildings.
The new residence hall, designed for 217 juniors and seniors and slated to open in fall 2026, will be located on Mayflower Hill Drive across from the Diamond Building and adjacent to Cotter Union. The building will offer a distinct level of quality in its design of living spaces and common areas to facilitate community-building. It is the next key component of the College’s strategic plan to enhance the student experience through purpose-built facilities that support an intentional living environment. Construction began this summer, and an official groundbreaking will take place later this fall.
“The College’s ability to move forward with the new residence hall is made possible through remarkable philanthropy,” commented Colby President David A. Greene. “Over the last few months, six donors have stepped up with gifts for the project totaling $35 million. I am grateful to them all and want to say a special thank you to our lead donors, Trustee Marieke Rothschild and her husband, Jeff, who have done so much to support the College’s key priorities in recent years. What a difference they are making for Colby.”
The new building was designed with significant feedback from students about how to advance the residential experience, including building community. It will feature four-, five-, and six-person suites that have single-occupancy bedrooms with shared bathrooms, living spaces, and kitchenettes.
“This residence hall isn’t just a place to live; it is intended to foster a vibrant community and provide students with ample opportunities for collaboration and connection that will help them thrive academically and socially,” said Dean of the College Gustavo Burkett. “The careful placement of the building in the heart of our residential campus, and its exceptional features and amenities will offer students more lifestyle choices during their time at Colby and enrich the fabric of our entire community.”
Unique elements and a sustainable design
An important and unique aspect of the residence hall is a new café that will be available to the campus community. Providing a different type of dining than what is found elsewhere on campus, it’s anticipated that it will feature made-to-order breakfasts and lunches, as well as baked goods, coffee, and other drinks during the day with a separate menu in the evening. There will also be a student-dedicated space for a broad range of uses and programming as well as a basement with storage, laundry, and building services.
The 112,000-square-foot building, which will consist of six connected structures that are three or four stories, features masonry as well as timber and references campus architecture through the use of gabled roofs, chimneys, and color palettes.
Additionally, it will have a very sustainable design. Highlights include being built with cross-laminated timber (CLT), radiant heat floors, an energy-efficiency building envelope, and having the ability to convert to ground-source heat pumps (geothermal) in the future. The new residence hall was designed by Hopkins Architects with Bruner/Cott serving as the architect of record.
As part of the overall investment in the residential experience, Colby is also committing at least $50 million to upgrade its existing residences over the next several years. This will include Heights, Hillside, East Quad, Anthony-Mitchell-Schupf, Averill, Mary Low/Coburn, Johnson, Perkins-Wilson, Pierce, Piper, Treworgy, and Foss/Woodman halls, some of which began to receive initial upgrades this summer and will continue to undergo additional work over the next four years along with other buildings.
Ongoing investments in the student experience
With the completion of the new residence, Colby will have added almost 650 new beds over the last several years, beginning with the Bill & Joan Alfond Main Street Commons. Opened in 2018, Alfond Commons is a civic engagement residential community in downtown Waterville that houses 200 Colby students, faculty, and staff who are deeply engaged in the city, including serving and supporting a variety of civic and community organizations.
In 2022 the College also opened four new houses for first-year and sophomore students. Approximately 200 students live in the sustainable residences, which draw inspiration from classic New England architecture prevalent throughout Maine. This past spring the houses were named after four influential women for their considerable impact on the College—Jacqueline Núñez ’61, Carol Swann-Daniels ’69, chair of Colby’s Board of Trustees Jane Powers ’86, and Life Trustee Paula Lunder, D.F.A ’98.
