Smoky Mountain News

Of the 1,450 Western Carolina University freshmen set to move in Aug. 20, about 375 will score a room in the brand new Blue Ridge Hall.

The hall is the second of a pair of residence halls built as part of a $50 million construction project. Balsam Hall opened last fall to about 425 students.

Blue Ridge Hall features a state-of-the-art conference center space and connects to adjacent Balsam Hall by an arch that offers a student study area overlooking the Alumni Tower and lawn of A.K. Hinds University Center. The project was developed as part of a plan to create a more pedestrian-friendly academic quad around the Alumni Tower. Construction is now under way on the quad’s outdoor elements, which include additional landscaping, walkways and a fountain.

housing.wcu.edu.