Dordt University to begin construction on townhomes

Dordt University will construct a series of townhomes on 4th Avenue, adjacent to the President’s Home. These townhomes will consist of 10 units and will house a total of 60 students.

Work will begin on the townhomes in early December, as the house that currently sits on the property will be removed. This will allow construction to begin in late winter before the frost is fully out of the ground, says Fred Verwoerd, vice president for university operations.

“We have partnered with Vision Builders with a goal of creating housing that blends nicely into the character of the town,” says Verwoerd. “I like the idea of having a variety of housing options on campus for different students. This housing option will provide students with a nice hybrid of on-campus living while also being closer to the greater Sioux Center community.”

The townhomes will likely be completed by August 2024.

“The townhomes will be a beautiful, functional, and aesthetic addition to 4th Avenue that gives us the flexibility to serve students in the near-term while considering future high-capacity building options closer to the heartbeat of campus,” says Robert Taylor, vice president for student success and dean of students.

In the longer term, the townhomes will provide relief for staff, faculty, and married students navigating the housing market as they relocate to Sioux Center, he adds.

The townhomes are being constructed in response to Dordt’s continual growth. This past fall, Dordt achieved record enrollment with an overall enrollment of 1,911 students; this exceeded the fall 2022 record of 1,858 students.

“To have Dordt’s undergraduate enrollment grow by more than 15 percent over the last decade while higher education overall has contracted by nearly 15 percent is certainly an encouragement,” says President Erik Hoekstra. “But really, it’s a tribute to God’s faithfulness to Dordt through our faculty, staff, and supporting constituency who share in this vision of Christ-centered higher education.”

The Board of Trustees approved the concept of a plan at their October meeting.

About Dordt University

As an institution of higher education committed to the Reformed Christian perspective, Dordt University equips students, faculty, alumni, and the broader community to work toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life. Located in Sioux Center, Iowa, Dordt is a comprehensive university named to the best college lists by the Wall Street Journal, Times Higher Education, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review.