A first look at a $44M Catholic residence hall for Purdue students

Meghan Holden | Journal & Courier

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A new faith-based residence hall for Purdue University students could break ground as soon as next spring.

St. Thomas Aquinas, a prominent Catholic church near campus, plans to start construction in late May or next June on a six-floor, 330-bed student housing center. The center would be built on a parking lot adjacent to the church in between Marstellar and Sheetz streets and is expected to open in summer 2020.

Rev. Patrick Baikauskas, director of campus ministry for St. Tom's, said the driving force for the project was to create a space that encourages students to engage with one another as part of a community.

"We’re not doing this for reasons people are building The Hub and other places in Chauncey Village," he said. "We don’t need to be landlords. We want to be a force for good in the lives of young people that are going to be living in this residence hall."

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Baikauskas is confident the church won't have an issue filling the center's planned 177 units. About 13,000 Purdue students are Catholic, a quarter of whom are very active in St. Tom's ministries, he said.

Although many Catholics will likely be drawn to the center, he said, it will be open to all undergraduate and graduate students. The main focus will be on sophomore students and above, however, because it's beneficial for freshmen to live in university residences, Baikauskas said.

"It has always been our intention to create an environment that is going to serve students of all faiths at Purdue," he said. "That’s very important to us."

A breakdown of the center

Although the project is still in its planning phase, St. Tom's has a running list of the amenities and services that would be offered at the 164,000-square-foot residence center.

The church is working with Indianapolis-based developer Browning Investments, the same group that's partnering with the Purdue Research Foundation on a $1.2 billion development of the west end of campus.

Here are some of the details included in an outline of the project:

• A variety of room layout options for all levels of residents, including 11 single units.

• Nine-month leases for fully furnished units with all utilities included.

• In-house dining services (including numerous “grab and go” meal opportunities) available throughout the day with both indoor and outdoor seating options.

• Secure resident access to the outdoor green roof deck on the second floor.

• A chapel designed to offer an opportunity for more intimate sacramental services, group and individual reflection and prayer.

• A courtyard/outdoor plaza available to residents, members of the parish and the entire Purdue community for a variety of functions, including weddings, celebrations, camps and other events.

• A subterranean parking level with 102 parking spaces.

The center will also have a code of conduct for its residents, which Baikauskas said hasn't yet been drafted. Guidelines related to living a "good, moral life," having guests in rooms and alcohol restrictions will be included, he said.

Faith West — a student residence hall built by Lafayette-based Faith Church a few years ago — has a "Lifestyle Covenant" that states residents should avoid certain behaviors, such as using vulgar speech; using or possessing any alcoholic beverages, tobacco or illegal drugs while on Faith West properties; participation in sexual relationships outside of heterosexual marriage; viewing pornographic or indecent media; and dressing immodestly on the premises of Faith West.

"There are certainly going to be guidelines that would probably mirror some of those, but I don’t know all of those are necessary," Baikauskas said. "Part of what we want to foster is trust, which is not necessarily bred by hard-and-fast requirements."

A $44.2 million private project

Before the project can come to fruition, the city will need to approve everything from its height to its aesthetic. Based on preliminary discussions, though, Baikauskas said city leaders are supportive.

He said St. Tom's has a meeting in July with West Lafayette's director of development, Erik Carlson, to further discuss plans.

The church also needs to secure enough funding for the estimated $44.2 million project to move forward.

The land where St. Tom's hopes to build will be owned by Purdue Research Foundation, after an exchange process with the university is complete. The foundation "has indicated a willingness make the center's site available via a long-term leasehold agreement," according to the project outline.

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The Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana is arranging long-term financing for the facility's housing areas, which will be underwritten by future student rent payments, the project outline read. But St. Tom's has to raise about $14 million, or 30 percent of the project's total cost, to underwrite the center's church and campus ministry related areas.

Funding for the center will solely come from private funding, Baikauskas said, and it won't seek any financial assistance from the city or state.

St. Tom's hasn't yet officially began a campaign to raise the $14 million, he said, but he anticipates the project will have a healthy and enthusiastic pool of contributors.

"Parents are very excited about this," Baikauskas said.

Reach Journal & Courier reporter Meghan Holden at mholden@gannett.com or 765-420-5205.