Editor’s Note: This story has been changed to clarify the opening timeline of Regents and Normal halls. Student Life Foundation Legal Counsel Tad Pardue said in an email to the Herald after the story’s publication that he was speaking on an estimated timeline of completing repairs, rather than the dorms’ estimated opening. “I should not have spoken to when they will reopen because after more thought, there might be timing and other considerations for reopening that may not allow for it immediately after repairs are completed,” Pardue said.
Editor’s Note: This story has been changed to clarify that SLF is not currently pursuing litigation against S.E. Engineering, the lead engineering firm for Hilltopper Hall, for the closure of Hilltopper Hall. Pardue said at Tuesday’s SLF meeting that SLF was in litigation with “the engineer and the general contractor,” but corrected himself in an email to the Herald after the story’s publication. The SLF is pursuing litigation against Sewell and Sewell, Hilltopper Hall’s architect, and the general contractor Scott, Murphy & Daniel.
The Student Life Foundation, the owning body of WKU’s dorms, hopes to finish repairs on Normal and Regents halls next academic year.
SLF Legal Counsel Tad Pardue said in an SLF meeting on Tuesday, “optimistically (the foundation is) shooting for next fall,” but the project could take as long as the spring semester.
Normal and Regents halls were built for $48 million in 2021. They closed in May following the discovery of structural issues in both buildings.
Brad Howard, chairman of the SLF board, said Reeves and Young, who are currently repairing Regents Hall, should have an estimated work cost by the end of the week.
Mark Rawlings, public finance banker with international private wealth management firm Baird, joined the Tuesday SLF meeting via Zoom. Rawlings said Morgan Stanley, an investment bank, has approved the SLF for up to $60 million in bonds, an increase of $5 million from the previous bond amount discussed in a Nov. 18 Board of Commissioners meeting and passed in Tuesday’s commissioners meeting, for the repairs to Normal and Regents halls.
“The intent was to give us latitude in case we were bad wrong on construction bids,” Rawlings said.
Rawlings said he is aiming to close on the bonds before the end of the year.
The SLF can’t issue debt, but the City of Bowling Green can act as a conduit between the SLF and private investors. Mayor Todd Alcott addressed the community at Tuesday’s Board of Commissioners meeting, outlining the nature of the bonds.
“It is not a bond that is through the City of Bowling Green,” Alcott said. “We are a pass-through to the (Student Life Foundation).”
The earlier $55 million bond rate was noted in the Board of Commissioners meeting despite the budget being changed to $60 million. The maximum interest rate of 10% remained the same.
No specific interest rate has been agreed upon between private investors, the university and the SLF. Still, the rate will be decided before ground is broken on the construction of both Normal and Regents halls.
“We are proud partners of Western Kentucky University,” Alcott said. “We’re fulfilling our obligation to (the university).”
Hilltopper Hall updates
The SLF received $939,000 in insurance claims against the engineer for Hilltopper Hall, Donald Stoneburg and his firm, S.E. Engineering. Stoneburg was hired by the foundation in 2008 to carry out construction management and engineering on its building projects.
Hilltopper Hall, which opened in 2018 for $40 million, was closed in 2024 and set to be demolished after the discovery of structural failures.
Pardue said the SLF is still pursuing other claims and litigation against architect Sewell and Sewell and general contractor Scott, Murphy & Daniel.
The SLF hopes to open bidding on a demolition contract in February. They will start with internal demolitions throughout the spring and begin a full demolition after students move out in May, Pardue said.
Repairs to open dorms
The foundation approved $110,000 to replace the backup generator in Pearce Ford Tower and $95,000 to upgrade the McCormack Hall HVAC system.
Operations Manager for Housing and Residence Life, Ronnie Allerkamp, gave back $200,000 of previously allocated funds for the repair of slab piping under McCormack Hall. Allerkamp said they will revisit the repairs once the university has chosen a private partner with which to form a new public-private partnership (P3).
“We can give back that 200,000 with the understanding that when we have our fifth or sixth leak, we’re at that point, having to address all the piping,” Allerkamp said.
Allerkamp also returned $20,000 for utility vehicles, waiting for the results of WKU’s public-private partnership.
Budget
The SLF approved a budget increase for Fiscal Year 2026.
The foundation had a budget of $34.4 million for FY 25 and increased it to a budget of $35.3 million.
Net expenses in the new budget increased from $26.9 million to $27.9 million, with revenue also increasing from $3.9 million to $5.5 million.
