Updates: Westlawn Renovation Project

October 20, 2024 — Dining hall REOPENS! Photo update

An exterior view of Westlawn just before the dining hall’s grand opening.

Students eagerly swiped their cards before eating.

AVIFresh prepared hot pizza, a student favorite.

The new dining hall allows food to be prepared and plated directly in front of students.

Students were eager to try the first food cooked in the new kitchen.

The dining hall featured a fully stocked salad bar.

Students happily posed while waiting in line for food.

The dining hall filled up rapidly for its first meal.

A major addition to the dining hall was the expansion and improvement of the outdoor patio.

View more photos from the first meal in Westlawn here.

October 1, 2024 — Construction video update

September 11, 2024 — Livestream video no longer available

Due to the good progress of this project and the need to move the construction trailer that the livestream video camera was located on, the livestream is no longer available.

We will keep you updated with project progress through other photos and videos here.

August 23, 2024 — Construction video update

August 2, 2024 — Construction video update

July 23, 2024 — Construction photo update

July 18, 2024 — Construction photo update

July 18: Building side from corner of College Ave. and Main St.

July 18: Newly paved lot in rear of building.

July 15, 2024 — Construction video update

June 21, 2024 — Construction photo update

June 21: Windows surrounding main stairwell installed.

May 10, 2024 — Construction video and photo updates

May 10: Second floor nursing skills lab.

March 18, 2024 — Construction video and photo updates

March 18: Drywall and windows installed.

March 18: Huddle rooms drywall installed.

March 11, 2024 — Construction photo update

March 6, 2024 — Construction video and photo updates

Cutting the final cords of the landline phone system.

February 27, 2024 — Construction photo update

Feb. 27: Steel staging for the stairwell tower.

Feb. 27: CCYC students viewing the renovations.

February 5, 2024 — Globe News provides a video update

November 9, 2023 — Westlawn construction video and photo updates

Nov. 9: First floor lounge and mezzanine

Nov. 7, 2023 — Visit by Kevin King, executive director of Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS)

Brian Mast, director of facilities and project manager, and Kevin King, executive director of Mennonite Disaster Service

It was great to have Kevin King, executive director of Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS), on campus today. He visited the construction site and got a tour of all of the progress. We are so grateful for the support of MDS, whose volunteers prepared Westlawn for this renovation by demolishing the existing interior of the second and third floors during 2022. This assistance was a significant aid in getting to this point and helping our dollars go further and faster on this important project to meet the growing demand for healthcare workers.

10.31.23: View updated renovation project map

Oct. 26, 2023 — Update in The Record

September 21-Oct. 4, 2023 — Construction photo update

Sept. 21: New construction site entrance from College Avenue

Sept. 22: The new elevator shaft hole begins to take form

Sept. 22: The indoor stairwell has been removed

September 2, 2023 — Westlawn Dining Hall closes for the year and dining in the Union begins

On Saturday, Sept. 2, the final move from Westlawn to the Union for dining for this year took place. The Hunsberger Commons has been converted into seating for dining, with the Hunsberger Haitian Art Collection being temporarily removed, and flags and fabrics from around the world being put up as decor.

A mobile kitchen unit supports a full-service dining experience this year while renovations in Westlawn are underway.

September 1, 2023 — Westlawn Groundbreaking Ceremony Event

Left to Right: Jeremy Corson, Resident Director, AVI Food Systems (Goshen College’s dining provider); Bruce Stahly, chair of the Goshen College Board of Directors; Gina Leichty, Mayor, City of Goshen; Emily Perez, senior nursing student, Salem, Oregon; Jadyn Good Kaufmann, Senior nursing student, Goshen, Indiana; Tia Robinson-Cooper, Chancellor, Ivy Tech Community College South Bend-Elkhart; Rebecca Stoltzfus, President of Goshen College; Nelson Kemboi, senior nursing student, Eldoret Rift Valley, Kenya; Randy Christophel, CEO of Goshen Health; Julie Crossley, Chief Nursing Officer of Goshen Health; Jewel Yoder, Prof. of Nursing, and the chair of the Department of Nursing; Pete McCown, President, Community Foundation of Elkhart County; Adam Tohulka, DJ Project Executive; Brian Mast, GC director of facilities and GC project manager

Goshen College President Rebecca Stoltzfus

Jewel Yoder, Professor of Nursing and the chair of the Department of Nursing and Public Health

Gina Leichty, Mayor of the City of Goshen and 1995 GC graduate

Brian Mast, GC director of facilities and GC project manager

Joe Springer, curator of the Mennonite Historical Library, talks about the history of the building and its original groundbreaking in 1951

Tia Robinson-Cooper, Chancellor of Ivy Tech Community College South Bend-Elkhart; Gina Leichty, Mayor of the City of Goshen; Nick Kieffer, president of the Goshen Chamber of Commerce; and GC President Rebecca Stoltzfus

Read about the groundbreaking ceremony and view more photos here.

News coverage of the groundbreaking:

Goshen News — Nursing program at Goshen College to receive upgrades (9.1.23)
Elkhart Truth — College breaks ground on health education building (9.2.23)
WVPE — Goshen College begins major renovation to augment nursing program (9.8.23)

August 29, 2023 — Construction trailer moves in

August 22, 2023 — Invitation to the groundbreaking on Sept. 1!

Celebrate the beginning of the Westlawn renovation project by joining us for a ceremonial groundbreaking on Friday, Sept. 1 from 10-10:30 a.m. on the Westlawn lawn (off-campus guests can park at the Music Center and a shuttle will be available there).

August 22, 2023 — Goodbye, dear tree friends!

Unfortunately we needed to take down some trees to enable construction and that happened today. Some of the trees removed were also not in good health, and we will plant a new tree for every one that we took down.

We had consulted with Aaron Sawatsky Kingsley, the Goshen City Forester and a Goshen College grad, about tree health in the construction area and which trees were most critical to save. We took extra precautions to protect remaining trees in the construction zone during construction.

After several trees were removed to make way for the construction project, the view towards College Avenue has opened up.

August 21, 2023 — Arrival of the mobile kitchen

On Monday, Aug. 21, a mobile kitchen unit was delivered to campus to support the temporary dining hall move to the Union for 2023-24!

August 3, 2023 — Updates: Westlawn renovation project beginning on Monday!

Greetings colleagues and students,

August has arrived and as we prepare for the start of a new school year, we also want to share important updates with you about the Westlawn renovation project that is beginning, including what to expect and how it may impact you. This renovation project will create a new and greatly expanded state-of-the-art home for the nursing and public health programs on the second and third floors, as well as provide enhanced dining services and indoor and outdoor gathering spaces that serve the entire campus.

CONSTRUCTION ZONE:
- On Monday, August 7, DJ Construction will begin to prepare the site. You will start to see fences, dirt piles, dumpsters, trailers, trucks and workers in hard hats around Westlawn, as well as on the north side of the Union. The construction zone around Westlawn will include the creation of a temporary site access off of College Avenue by the 8th Street gate.
- Pedestrian sidewalk change: Due to the construction zone around Westlawn, pedestrians will not be able to use the sidewalk between the gate and the Adelphian Fountain.
- View this renovation project map to better visualize changes and the construction zone.

PARKING:
- An initial fence was installed yesterday in the parking lot north of the Union, limiting some access. Beginning Monday, there will be no campus parking in the lot north of the Union (mostly employee parking now), the Westlawn circle drive (currently short-term parking) or the 9th Street lot (currently student parking). These will be used for construction parking.
- As alternatives, the parking lots by the Church-Chapel/Newcomer Center, the Music Center and Rec-Fitness Center are all large and usually have ample space if you can’t find other spaces. The visitor lot south of the Welcome Center will have a few new spaces labeled for employees (pay attention to the signs). Students can continue to park on the west, north and east sides of the Physical Plant. Employee parking remains available next to Coffman and Wyse Halls, as well as south of the Physical Plant.
- See this parking map for more clarity.

DINING:
- During August, including the first week of classes, meals will be served in the Westlawn Dining Hall. There will be a gate through the construction fence by the Adelphian Fountain in order to get into Westlawn for meals during this time.
- On September 5, campus dining will begin being served in the Union, with a normal dining hall meal menu out of the Leaf Raker Cafe area, and seating throughout the Hunsberger Commons. A mobile kitchen unit will be parked in the lot north of the Union and will support a full-service dining experience this year in the Union with expanded hours (7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.). Between meals, continuous weekday dining includes salad, deli, dessert, beverages and a limited set of Leaf Raker favorites. Employee meal tickets will also be available for purchase.
- In mid-September when they open, Java Junction will begin to serve their normal coffee, cold drinks and sweet treats, plus this year it will serve AVI Grab & Go food items. All are welcome!
IMPACT ON TREES:
- Unfortunately we will need to take down some trees to enable construction. We consulted with Aaron Sawatsky Kingsley, the Goshen City Forester and a Goshen College grad, about tree health in the construction area and which trees are most critical to save. We will be taking extra precautions to protect remaining trees in the construction zone during construction. We anticipate removing 6-8 trees on the east and west sides of Westlawn, some of which were not in good health, and will plant a new tree for every one that we take down.

Want to know more about this exciting project? Check out photos, a video and renderings/floor plans on this new project website: goshen.edu/westlawn.

We’ll provide you with regular updates over the course of this renovation project, but please reach out if you have any questions.

Thanks,

The Westlawn Renovation Steering Committee:

Ben Bontrager, vice president for finance and operations
Brian Mast, director of facilities and project manager
Cynthia Good Kaufmann; director of planning and events
Paul Housholder, director of ITS/ITSMedia technical and business services
Glenn Gilbert, retired director of facilities
Jodi Beyeler, vice president for communications and people strategy