New dorm gives Purdue students hotel-style living

WEST LAFAYETTE – Purdue University students will experience hotel-style living when they move into a $52 million dormitory that is the first built on campus since 1993.

First Street Towers will open Aug. 15 and features 365 single rooms with private baths and air conditioning, lounges with flat-screen televisions and free laundry. It also has accommodations for students with special needs.

Purdue facilities manager Becky Moyer said the designers chose carpets, bulletin boards and other items made from recyclable materials. More than 60 percent of the materials used in the building came from Indiana, she said.

Each room has 140 square feet of living space and private bathrooms that measure about 35 square feet, she said.

The dorm is the most expensive residence hall on campus. Students will pay more than $14,000 a school year for room and board.

Junior Chad Campbell said the amenities are worth it.

“It’s really spacious, and the free laundry is a big plus,” he said.