Home Sweet Hall

A new, $50 million residential facility is slated to replace Dryden Hall.

When it comes to university residence halls, the cinder-block doubles and communal bathrooms of old no longer reflect how undergraduates want to live (if they ever did). These days, an affordable mix of privacy, kitchen access, and high-end features typically tops the list of student priorities. Institutions that fail to listen — and modernize accordingly — risk losing students to those that do.

Eastern is on board. Earlier this spring, planning began for a new residence hall, a $50.2 million project that will replace Dryden, the venerable but now vacant 61-year-old dormitory at the northwest corner of Ninth and Cedar. The yet-to-be-named facility will house 350 to 400 students in configurations that are still to be decided — though you can be sure comfortable, amenity-rich suites will be on the table.

“The vision is to create modern student housing that supports academic success and community engagement,” says Max Baca, vice president of business and strategy. Design decisions, he adds, will be informed by market research emphasizing the priorities of Eagle students.

NAC Architecture of Spokane will lead the project, extending a relationship that stretches back 45 years and dozens of campus projects. The firm brings considerable experience to the job, with a national portfolio valued at roughly $500 million that includes work for Gonzaga University and the University of Washington.

Melanie Potts, EWU’s director of housing and residential life, says the university has sought to be proactive in making the new residences super student friendly. “We are [engaging] our students and market research to make intentional decisions that will contribute to the success and belonging of EWU students for many years to come,” she says.

Design work is expected to begin shortly, with construction targeted for early 2027. Move-in is planned ahead of the 2028-2029 academic year. The new residence hall will join the six residential properties — four traditional residence halls and two apartment complexes — that EWU currently operates.