Construction started early in summer 2023 on an east campus project that will enhance the student experience and possibly change the way people see the university.

Situated behind the Neeley School of Business, the residence halls will primarily house first-year students alongside a dining hall serving all students and faculty members. The east campus construction is expected to be completed by January 2025.

The dining hall will have 550 seats and will be positioned between the two separate residence halls, which will be home to 292 students. A common area will unify the space and provide a gathering spot for all TCU students.

Two residents halls on the east side of campus will house 292 students, and a dining hall there will have an occupancy of 550. Photo by Jeff Wilson

“Once we planned to start introducing student life to the east side of campus, we knew there had to be some basic amenities because students shouldn’t have to walk all the way across campus to get a bite to eat,” said Todd Waldvogel, associate vice chancellor for facilities and campus planning. “As we cracked the seal on this new freshman residential experience, that required us to contemplate that addition of dining.

“This area will be more of an urban setting than the rest of campus, but it still has a generous green space. This area is much more intimate than the campus commons, but will still be a dining experience for everybody.”  

The expansion will not only serve to fit the growing number of incoming first-year students, but it will transform the environment and function of TCU’s campus. The east campus addition is expected to be TCU’s largest campus transformation since four new residence halls and the Brown Lupton University-Union were built in 2005.  

The construction of two residence hall and a dining hall east of the Neeley School of Business is expected to be completed in January 2025. Photo by Jeff Wilson

“The east campus that people know today will not be the same in five, six, eight years,” said Craig Allen, executive director for housing and residence life. “I think as we put student housing on the east side of campus, there will come a time where we won’t refer to one part or the other as the academic versus the residence areas. This is going to help tie the campus together in a cool way for the student experience.”

Because of the separation between the existing residence halls and the east side of campus, Waldvogel sees this project leading to other first-year housing plans in the near future to create more community within on-campus housing.

Allen also believes TCU’s growing student population will require additional housing plans to be developed.  

“I think in the years shortly following the completion of this project, we will see more housing added to our inventory so that we can continue the growth that we want to maintain,” Allen said.