UW Housing, Law School Construction Projects Set to Begin

Construction projects for new student housing and an expansion of the College of Law Building could begin in about a month, following action last week by the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees.

The board voted to approve contracts with JE Dunn Construction for the first phase of the housing project and FCI Constructors of Wyoming for the College of Law project, setting the stage for on-the-ground work to begin before the end of the calendar year.

The maximum price for the first phase of the housing project is $171.1 million, covering construction and furnishing of a new 434-bed north residence hall and dining facilities for 850 students at the intersection of 15th and Lewis streets; the purchase of some materials for a second 466-bed residence hall south of the first; improvements to 15th Street; and landscaping around the new construction.

The project is scheduled for completion in spring 2025. The construction budget for the south hall is expected to be considered by the board in 2023.

In both residence halls, there will be typical double and single rooms, two-bed semi-suites and four-bed semi-suites. The new structures will replace outdated UW residence halls along Grand Avenue.

The maximum price for the College of Law Building expansion is $30.94 million. The 19,300-square-foot, two-story addition will wrap around the northwest end of the existing building, and 25,000 square feet of the existing building will be renovated, creating spaces for clinics, accessible restrooms and improved vertical circulation.

Funding for the residence hall project comes from bonds issued by the university with the approval of the Wyoming Legislature. The College of Law project is funded by legislative appropriations and private contributions.