Purdue planning new campus residence hall

Purdue University officials are pushing ahead with plans for a new campus residence hall that would house between 200 and 300 students and include a cafe and retail space.

Administrators gave a committee of Purdue's board of trustees a preview of the plan Wednesday. The four-story building catering to upperclassmen would cost between $28 million and $32 million and be paid for through campus housing fees.

The proposal goes before the school's full board of trustees on Feb. 4.

Purdue physical and capital planning director Ken Sandel tells the Journal & Courier of Lafayette that the building would include student suites along with a cafe and retail space. About 12,000 Purdue students live on the West Lafayette campus in school housing that's currently at 98 percent capacity.