The College purchased three units on West Wheelock Street in July to be developed into College housing “eventually,” according to senior vice president of operations Josh Keniston. The units, 18 West Wheelock St., 20 West Wheelock St. and 22 West Wheelock St., have historically been occupied by Dartmouth students.
“All of these acquisitions are part of Dartmouth’s multi-year plan to expand housing for all of Dartmouth’s community — undergraduate, graduate, professional students, faculty and staff,” Keniston said.
This is part of a broad effort to build dorms on West Wheelock Street, addressing the College’s housing shortage. In 2023, College President Sian Leah Beilock pledged to add 1,000 beds for students, faculty and staff by 2033. Keniston said the College has begun construction or has plans to begin construction on 700 beds on West Wheelock St. and it is “on track” for its goal.
There are four new dormitories planned for West Wheelock St. Russo Hall, at 25 West Wheelock St., will add 290 beds and open in fall of 2026. The Class of 1989 Hall, Shonda Rhimes Hall and one hall that is yet to be announced are “still in the design phase.” Construction for Shonda Rhimes Hall is set to begin in early 2026 and Class of 1989 Hall in the summer of 2026, according to Keniston.
“We’re in really good shape,” Keniston said.
Keniston said that all of the new housing projects are being designed to meet the College’s “high” energy-efficiency standards and require less energy consumption.
“Our goal is basically to make sure that the envelope of the building is creating the most efficient building that we can get,” Keniston said. “Every new building that we build, we find new ways to lower the energy consumption.”
One member of the Class of 2026 living in West Wheelock residences, who was granted anonymity to conceal her address, said that they received a notice in July that they now pay rent to the Dartmouth Real Estate office. The resident said that they were told to “change locks and parking passes.”
Hanover town manager Robert Houseman described Dartmouth’s recent development efforts as part of a broader transformation of the West Wheelock corridor.
“It’s creating needed housing,” Houseman said. “It’s creating opportunities for students to be closer to the campus, and hopefully freeing up other housing — off-campus housing that’s now used by off-campus students — for graduate students, postdocs and non-student related housing that’s desperately needed here in Hanover and the Upper Valley,” he said.
In 2022, Hanover voted to establish the Main Wheelock zoning district which allows for “higher density residential development” along West Wheelock St. Houseman said the change “allows” the College’s new housing developments.
“A group of students resurrected the zoning amendment that was voted on in 2015,” Houseman said. “The planning board went through the exact same process again in 2022 and ultimately the amendment went forward for a vote. It passed.”
Houseman said the College had an “opportunity” to build “high-quality, long-term housing” on West Wheelock Street.
“Those projects are adding to housing inventory that is woefully needed,” Houseman said.
