In 2022 Colorado State University began work on a planned renovation of Westfall Hall that took 500 beds offline, leading some students of the largest enrolled class to be housed in the Best Western University Inn on South College Avenue and East Elizabeth Street. 

Nik Olsen, director of integrative communications at CSU, said the decision to utilize the Best Western was due to a prior partnership established in 2020 when social distancing requirements meant students would need more space and the university’s attempts to keep first-year students close to campus were in full swing. 

Even with an on-campus housing capacity of approximately 8,500 residents, CSU Housing & Dining anticipates residence halls to be near capacity. 

In anticipation of higher enrollment this year, CSU completed a space audit in which they were able to find space for 120 more beds within existing facilities. This was achieved by configuring room types to provide students with a smaller space at a lower cost and more amenities such as air conditioning. 

Last year was not the first time CSU had difficulties with housing students. Many of the existing halls were not opened until the late 1950s, when there were less beds because many of the first students at CSU commuted to class from home.

It was not until 1881 that CSU opened its first dormitory, consisting of only two floors. The first floor was for women and the second for men. By 1893 the dormitory was converted into academic space, and the growing number of students had to find their own housing off campus. 

The university soon realized the need for on-campus housing and opened an all-women’s dormitory, sparking a trend of gender-specific halls. 

After World War II a surge of veterans and their families enrolled at CSU, which prompted the university to install 90 prefabricated dorms that were described as “tin cans cut in half” and more akin to culverts, according to CSU SOURCE.

Remnants of the hastily constructed housing known as Veterans’ Village can still be seen around Fort Collins, notably south of campus along Spring Creek Trail and Bay Road.  

Eventually, complaints about the “tin cans” being too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter prompted CSU to build its first three permanent residence halls by 1949: Rockwell, Braiden and South. 

Over the next 20 years, CSU built 12 more residence halls, including Allison, Edwards, Durward and Westfall.

As enrollment continues to increase today, CSU faces yet another housing issue. With a substantial deferred maintenance backlog across existing dorms, CSU initially planned to develop Meridian Village on the former lot of Aylesworth Hall between Newsom Hall and Braiden Hall. However, a decision was made to not move forward with the new housing development due to pressures resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Over the next several years CSU will continue to explore possibilities such as redeveloping current residence halls like Ingersoll, Allison and Newsom. CSU assured students that they will continue “to work to ensure there is enough space in the residence halls to house all first-year students,” Olsen said.

Reach Garrett Mogel at life@collegian.com or on Twitter @GarrettMogel.