Macalester’s $88 Million Project Aims to Transform Housing, Sustainability and Campus Connections

Macalester College’s new residence hall and welcome center is designed to do more than add student housing. College officials say the $88 million project will reshape how prospective students experience the campus, how current students connect with it, and how the institution pursues its long-term climate goals.

The project, currently under construction at the corner of Grand Avenue and Macalester Street in St. Paul, is intended to expand housing for upper-year students, advance the college’s climate goals and create a more visible, welcoming entrance to campus. Together, those goals represent a broader effort to transform the student experience from a prospective student’s first visit through graduation.

Expected to open in 2027, the five-story building will include 224 beds, a new welcome center, admissions offices, community gathering spaces, a campus store and a public cafe. The building also features a geothermal heating and cooling system that college leaders hope will eventually serve additional campus buildings.

According to Nathan Lief, Macalester’s associate vice president of facilities, the project grew out of several needs the college was trying to address simultaneously.

“The project has several specific goals that we were trying to solve for the campus,” Lief said, pointing to housing, sustainability and campus visibility among the primary drivers.

While the residence hall will provide new housing, college officials say the project is equally about how people experience Macalester itself.

One of the most visible changes will be the creation of what administrators describe as a new “front door” to the college. The campus currently lacks a central arrival point for visitors, prospective students and families. Macalester plans to redesign the intersection of Grand Avenue and Macalester Street, creating a more welcoming and recognizable entry point to campus.

The project also addresses increasing demand for on-campus housing. Macalester recently implemented a three-year residency requirement, but existing residence halls have not provided enough capacity to house most students beyond their second year. The new building is expected to help close that gap while offering upper-year students a living environment that more closely resembles apartment-style housing.

Students’ rooms will be organized into pod-style units with shared kitchens, lounges and private-stall bathrooms. College officials say the design was influenced by feedback gathered during campus planning discussions and is intended to provide greater independence while keeping students connected to campus life.

Lief said housing availability is particularly important for Macalester’s international students, who may face additional challenges securing off-campus housing.

“I think there’s just more of a bond to your college if you live on campus for more years,” he said. “You’re around your friends. You’re around your professors. You’re around the campus activities.”

College leaders view those housing investments as part of a broader effort to strengthen the student experience, from recruitment through graduation.

The project also represents one of the college’s most significant sustainability investments. The residence hall will be heated and cooled using a geothermal system that utilizes underground wells and heat pumps instead of relying primarily on natural gas. The building will also include rooftop solar panels, native landscaping, energy-efficient systems and construction materials chosen to minimize carbon emissions.

Lief said the geothermal infrastructure is being designed for future expansion beyond the residence hall itself.

“We’re hoping this is the first step,” he said. “The goal is that over time we can connect additional buildings and continue moving away from our natural gas system.”

Megan Butler, Macalester’s sustainability director, said the project reflects a larger shift occurring across higher education.

“There’s been this shift toward less carbon neutrality and more decarbonization,” Butler said. “What can we actually do on these campuses to reduce how we’re emitting right here, right now?”

Rather than relying primarily on carbon offsets, Butler said colleges are increasingly investing in projects that directly reduce emissions by changing infrastructure and energy systems.

The sustainability features extend beyond energy production. Plans call for a green roof terrace, native plants and landscaping designed to manage stormwater while creating outdoor gathering spaces for students and visitors.

The project also aims to enhance Macalester’s connection with the surrounding community. In addition to housing and admissions functions, the building will include a public cafe and gathering spaces open to visitors. College leaders say those features were intentionally included to create a more active presence along Grand Avenue and encourage interaction between campus and neighborhood residents.

The development replaces a long-vacant lot and parking area that previously housed a dry-cleaning business. Macalester collaborated with state agencies to address contamination at the site before construction began.

The project is financed through a mix of private contributions and institutional loans. During the 2026 legislative session, the college requested $2.57 million in state funding to support geothermal and sustainability initiatives, but the request was not granted. College officials say they are exploring other funding avenues, including grants, philanthropic efforts and energy-related programs.

“I would hope that people feel welcome,” Butler said. “That they can see themselves here, and that they belong here.”

For more information, visit www.macalester.edu/news/2026/05/macalester-college-senior-leadership-dedicates-new-residence-hall-and-welcome-center/.

Alaysia Lane is a multimedia journalist and commerce writer based in Minneapolis.