Tabor College opens new townhouses
Staff reporter
The skyline at Tabor College has changed this summer.
Students will be greeted with a new townhouse complex that will resemble a ski resort more than a college dormitory.
Designed by the college's architect, David Riffle, the building is unique to this area.
Tabor's vice president of business and finance and business affairs Kirby Fadenrecht said the college wanted something different.
"We wanted townhouse apartment style living for our students," he said.
Despite the modern structure, efforts were successful in assuring that the design would complement the existing brick structures and not be a detraction.
An important aspect of the new development was to continue the same gender communal living.
"We wanted students to live together instead of cocooning themselves in individual apartments," Fadenrecht said.
The areas have communal accommodations so students can spend time together in the living room and kitchen areas.
Areas also are classified as male and female housing.
"One of the unique features of Tabor College is maintaining separate living quarters for males and females," Fadenrecht said. Visiting hours are available at all of the residence halls to allow socializing, he said.
The complex
When completed, the three townhouses will have a total of 72 beds for students, and are named after benefactors of the college — Hiebert Hall, Loewen Hall, and Wiebe Hall.
When classes begin Tuesday, 44 students will call the new complex "home." The remaining units that will accommodate 28 students will be completed in four to six weeks.
"We started behind the eight ball," Fadenrecht said. It began with the delay of bid documents and then wet weather didn't help.
"We had hoped to have the entire building completed by July 1," he said.
Tenants in the townhouses will be returning juniors and seniors.
Vaulted ceilings, contemporary furniture and paint, and recessed lighting gives occupants the feeling of a luxury resort instead of a college dormitory.
The unique living quarters offer an ample living room area with a table and chairs for joint studying. Full-service kitchens complete with stoves, refrigerators, and microwaves and a bar with sufficient seating gives students opportunities to socialize.
Bedrooms provide living areas for two students per room. Elevated, bunk-style beds allow space for more furniture.
Bathrooms on the female side of the building includes tubs.
Coin-operated laundry facilities also are located on the premises.
The resident director will live in the lower level and will reside there year-round. A resident assistant will live with the other students in the living quarters.
Also in the basement are three garden apartments, a guest suite, storage, and a safe room. Two garden apartments are handicapped accessible.
Times have changed a lot since the residence halls currently used by students were constructed.
One dormitory was constructed in 1960 followed by clusters being built in the 1960s and 1970s, Fadenrecht said. The last residence hall was constructed in 1998.
With the addition of this townhouse, the college can accommodate 550 students which also includes houses around the campus the college also owns.
Enrollment in 2006 was 488 students at the Hillsboro campus. This year's enrollment is anticipated to be 470-485, Fadenrecht said.
This is all a part of the college's master plan. A new auditorium, additional classroom space, and additional residence halls, if enrollment increases, are among the possible enhancements.
This project was made possible by long-term planning, donations, and cooperation.
"We appreciate the city's willingness to move this project up the city's priority list," Fadenrecht said.
Attracting students
Upgrades to the college's parking lot by eliminating an alley, burying some of the city's underground electrical lines, and making improvements to Adams Street were collaborative efforts between the City of Hillsboro and Tabor College.
"Our parking has become organized and modern," Fadenrecht said. "Additional diagonal parking gave us 50 more parking spaces."
Next on the list for the college is the stadium project which is also a partnership with USD #411.
The college's web site also has been updated in an effort to attract new students.
"Today's students are Internet savvy and look at web sites," Fadenrecht said. "We have to have an attractive front door."
Students come to expect a quality education but want the other amenities that come with college life.
"By looking at the college's image and progressive thinking, the students determine if they'll fit in with the campus culture and be comfortable coming to school here," he said.
School officials continue to help students achieve success by offering modern accommodations without changing traditional values.
