Ground broken for new KCKCC student dorm

Ground was broken Friday for a new student dormitory at Kansas City Kansas Community College, 7250 State Ave.

The groundbreaking for the new dormitory was near the current Police Academy building on the west side of campus.

The new student dormitory is scheduled to open in fall 2022, according to Dr. Ray Daniels, chair of the KCKCC Board of Trustees.

Among the features of the four-story dormitory are a group study hall, study spaces, multi-purpose spaces, a community laundry facility, a storm shelter, gaming room and outdoor patio and grilling area. It will have 57 four-bed units; seven two-bed units; five ADA mobility units; two three-bed units; and one each for a housing specialist and housing supervisor.

Dr. Daniels said at the groundbreaking that a student survey showed that students wanted to have a dorm. The college rented some nearby buildings for dorm space, and later decided to build its own dormitory on campus.

Dr. Daniels said the college has several other projects currently taking place, including a downtown Kansas City, Kansas, campus that is being planned.

Student success is one of the pillars of the college’s strategic plans, he said. The dormitory will be a place of learning, he said. It will be a safe place to go, it will have high-speed internet and will provide places for students to gather. The students will have easy access to the college buildings for classes, tutoring, library work and advising.

Also speaking at the event were Dr. Greg Mosier, KCKCC president; Dustin Williams, KCKCC student president; and Dr. Jane Philbrook, Unified Government commissioner.

Williams said the new dormitory project has sparked ideas for other improvements.

Dr. Philbrook said the dormitory would provide an opportunity for students who might not otherwise have the opportunity to further their education or who may not have a community college close to them.

“This is an exciting way to open our doors to the future,” Dr. Philbrook said about the new project.

“Our students deserve the best learning and living environment we can provide,” Dr. Mosier said in a news release. “The new student housing facility will allow our students to live, study and connect in new ways while being surrounded by curated amenities. I am delighted to watch the construction and know that in a few months, our students will move into a modern, comfortable and technologically supported home.”