By Josh Siatkowski | Staff Writer
The demolition phase has begun for the $36.5 million of renovations for Dawson and Allen Residence Halls, the current home of Baylor’s LEAD LLC.
Dawson and Allen Halls, which opened in 1954, will be closed all year, with an expected completion date of July 2026. Similar to the 2024 renovation of the Honors Residential College, the project will update the dorm rooms and common areas, as well as create a new connecting space between the two buildings for shared use.
Residents have been relocated to North Village. Since Baylor’s renovation plan for 10 residence halls began in 2013, North Village has frequently served in this transitory capacity, said Tiffany Lowe, director of Campus Living and Learning.
The apartment-style rooms of University House and Texana House have been used as a “swing space,” Lowe said via email. The Honors Residential College was also temporarily housed in North Village last year.
Katy senior Isabella Zarate said that the relocation has been an adjustment for the LEAD community. As co-director of LEAD LLC’s executive council, Zarate is responsible for helping to coordinate events put on by the various committees.
“We’ve had to adjust a little bit about how we do our events,” Zarate said. “It’s really interesting to be going to the literal opposite side of campus. We’re not near Memorial [Dining Hall] anymore, and that was a really big part of where we had our events before.”
Zarate also said that the apartment-style living in North Village, combined with the size of the area, has made planning and spreading awareness of events a little harder.
There have also been advantages to the new location. For example, with more space than ever, LEAD committees have been able to put on outdoor tailgates for Baylor football games.
“We have a really big yard now. We have a tailgate that we’re doing this weekend, and so that’s really cool. We’ve never gotten to utilize space like that,” Zarate said.
While they’ve adjusted to life in North Village, Zarate said that she and other residents are incredibly excited to get back to the other side of campus. Zarate said she was especially excited to see how the new common space will build community.
“When I heard about it, I was really excited. I think it will help a lot with creating a community between residents and between both dorms,” Zarate said.
For those who have lived in Dawson and Allen, the renovation is very welcome. Houston senior Natalie French gave an example of just how old the dorms really are.
“A girl and I lived down the hall from each other [in Dawson], and her Grandma went to Baylor, and she lived in Dawson. When she walked in, she goes, ‘Oh my gosh, it looks the exact same!””
Though French said she had a good experience living in Dawson her freshman year, she said that renovations are long overdue.
“I thought it was fine,” French said. “But it’s time for a renovation.”
Following their completion, Kokernot Hall will undergo a $7.5 million renovation with an expected completion in 2026.
According to Lowe, Kokernot residents will not be relocated to North Village, but will be placed in first-year housing where available. Once the renovations of Dawson and Allen have been completed, North Village will return to standard first-year and upper-division housing.
