Milligan presents plans to renovate Webb Hall, which will affect student life on campus during the 2026-27 academic year.
The Webb Hall project, announced by President Stephen Waers during a town hall meeting last semester, will include a full and comprehensive renovation. Planned updates include interior redesigns, updated infrastructure, improved accessibility and suite-style living spaces, according to the university’s vision for the residence hall.
The money for this project comes from several sources. An initial $1 million gift helped launch the project, and the university expects alumni and friends of Milligan to contribute additional funds.
“We are using some internal cash reserves for the project, and the remainder will be financed through a tax-exempt bond issue,” said Chase McGlamery, Milligan’s director of residence life and student care.
“The goal is not only to restore a beloved building on our campus, but to create a residence hall that matches the quality, warmth and character of Milligan itself,” according to the website created for the project.
Senior Spencer Hall said he is skeptical about the university’s renovations plans.
“It is a rite of passage for all underclassmen to live in Webb,” Hall said, who lived in Webb Hall during his freshman and sophomore years. “They should have built a new dorm before they renovated the old building. They are just going to find more problems when they start renovating.”
McGlamery acknowledged that no large construction projects can be done without unforeseen challenges.
“To reduce those challenges, the Milligan administration has been engaged with experts for months,” McGlamery said. “Structural and electrical engineers conducted a feasibility study on the renovation to ensure that it was a wise decision. Ultimately, the university projects the cost of renovating Webb to be 30% cheaper per bed than new construction. The administration and the board work to make fiscally sound decisions to steward university resources wisely.”
Webb Hall will be closed for the 2026-27 academic year. To make housing on campus possible, especially for freshmen and sophomore students, the university has implemented several housing adjustments. Rising juniors, seniors and new transfer students will be fully eligible to live off campus during the renovation period, a change from Milligan’s prior strict on campus living requirements.
Sutton Hall, previously a female residence hall, will temporarily serve as the primary housing for first- and second-year male students. Female underclassmen will continue to live in Hart Hall. Occupancy in Milligan Village will increase to six residents per unit, instead of five, by adding bunked beds in units with a single bathroom.. Sophomores will be eligible to apply for Milligan Village housing.
In addition, McAnally and Jeanes Halls will house female students during the renovation, while Wigginton will become male housing alongside Hampton and Pardee Halls. MSA Apartments will transition to all-male housing spaces. Emmanuel Village and Thompson Center will have limited options for upper-class women.
“As with any large project like this, there are a number of provisions in the contract related to timely completion,” said McGlamery when asked about potential plans in case the renovations don’t finish in time for the 2027-28 academic year. “We have strong confidence in the timelines for this project, but there are contingencies in place if the project runs long.”
Photo 1: The outside of Webb Hall in the sun on January 20 (Photo Credit: Emily Haas)
