Gilbane, WKU Partner for Campus Revamp
The partnership's first phase includes the development of a new 980-bed student community.
Gilbane has formed a public-private partnership with the Western Kentucky University to transform the institution’s campus in Bowling Green, Ky. The school’s board approved a predevelopment agreement for the first phase of the project.
Phase One will consist of replacing two of the oldest residence halls at the campus, namely Poland and Douglas Keen Halls. The buildings will make room for a 980-bed property that will feature private and semi-private suites.
Common-area amenities will include community kitchens, collaborative lounges and study spaces aimed at supporting student engagement and aligning with current development trends in student housing.
The project is slated to return to the WKU board for final approval and financial close in the first half of next year. In the meantime, the partnership is working on its design and planning.
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This phase initiates a multi-year master plan to upgrade WKU’s housing system. Upcoming phases will target renovations to existing residence halls while taking into consideration new living-learning models.
The agreement represents more than $300 million in campus housing investments, including the construction of the new hall and defeasance of Student Life Foundation debt, as well as repairs and improvements across the current portfolio.
Gilbane’s recent student housing deals
Over the past decades, Gilbane developed north of 55,000 student housing beds across more than 30 universities. This year, the company formed public-private partnerships with Palm Beach Atlantic University and the University of Rhode Island and will deliver thousands of new beds and a range of student-focused amenities to both campuses.
In November, the firm reached the financial close of the partnership with the University of Rhode Island. The company will develop two on-campus student housing communities and reconstruct a third. The first residence hall is set to open in the fall of 2027 at the earliest.
Earlier this year, a joint venture between Gilbane and CBRE Investment Management obtained construction financing for Zaya, a 352-unit, 702-bed project in Gainesville, Fla. The development is already underway, rising within walking distance of the University of Florida.
