NMU resident halls given name reflecting university

MARQUETTE — Construction on the new residence halls on NMU’s campus continues to go underway, with a goal of having students in two of the buildings by this fall.

These new halls will allow a place to stay on campus for 1,200 students. The Woods, was the name decided for these halls at the most recent board of trustees meeting. This living area will consist of several different wings that will have different names, most likely tree related.

Keeping the overall theme of nature is an important value at Northern Michigan University.

“We really looked at having a nature theme. The students that come to NMU from downstate, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois, which are our main feeding areas, they are coming here for a different experience and the Woods really fits who we are as Northern and that Northern experience,” said Assistant Vice President of Marketing/Communications at Northern Michigan University, Derek Hall.

Another project that will soon be in the works and is a partnership with the City of Marquette, is multiple roundabouts on the borders of NMU’s campus. The intersections that will see this change is on the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Wright Street, Fair Avenue and Presque Isle, along with the most impactful one, at the corner of Wright Street and Sugar Loaf.

“A lot of the big mine trucks are coming through there and that is a real safety issue for us and our students. That is the biggest impact I think the roundabouts will have,” said Hall.

The signing up process to live in the new halls will begin next month. Two of the buildings will be completed by July with students moving in this coming August. The entire project on the halls is expected to be completed by July of 2018 and construction on the roundabouts is anticipated to begin this summer.