Grand opening of New Hall West will provide tours of new building to public

Virginia Tech's newest residential and office building, New Hall West, located between Harper and the Student Services building on West Campus Drive, will have a grand opening ceremony on Dec. 10.

The ceremony, which will begin with a ribbon cutting in the lobby of New Hall West at 9 a.m., followed by tours of the building departing every 15 minutes between 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., is free and open to the public.

Tours of the new building will include the first-floor office space, which houses 75 student affairs staff members, and includes two shared conference rooms, a break room with a small kitchen, and office suites designed for eight departments; as well as the basement, which features an apartment for the live-in complex director, test kitchen and training room, laundry room, lounge for residents, and storage space for the offices above. Visitors will also be able to walk through the hallway gallery exhibit of photos and paintings by local artists, sponsored by the Blacksburg Regional Art Association.

"It has been a goal for many years to bring together in one building all of the departments that report to the associate vice president for Student Affairs, and New Hall West has finally made that possible,” said Edward Spencer, the vice president for student affairs. “It has also enabled us to expand the variety of on-campus housing options available to students by offering a building with private bathrooms for each room and individually controlled HVAC systems."

Tours will also visit the upper floors, which house 260 students in two-person rooms with private baths, individual climate-control systems, and carpeted flooring. The halls, which are co-ed by room, feature modern study lounges, break rooms, and kitchens, as well as ADA-accessible fixtures.

"We are very proud of New Hall West,” says Rick Johnson, the director of Housing and Dining Services. “Students have raved over the contemporary styling and the larger rooms. It truly was a collaborative project between Housing; Residence Life; and the Office of Planning, Design and Construction at Virginia Tech."

With a visitor’s pass, parking is available in the Coliseum Lot located along Washington Street and Spring Road. A visitor’s pass may be obtained Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Visitor Information Center, located on Southgate Drive. Find more parking information online or call (540) 231-3200.

Written by Chris Gustin.