With a marching band, an enthusiastic crowd, and perfect weather, McKendree University celebrated their new residence hall at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday morning (October 22nd). In 2010  McKendree broke ground for  the new residence hall, something that hadn’t been done for 26 years.  With increased enrollment and a desire to provide modern housing for their students, McKendree University commissioned  Mackey Mitchell to create a living environment that offers modern safety features and amenities that today’s students seek in university housing. McKendree also decided to renovate Ames Dining Hall to further complement the new facility and bring new energy and vitality to campus life.  The aggressive renovation was completed in a three-month time frame. According to McKendree president  Dr. James Dennis, ” These communities are microcosms of our larger world and give students the opportunity to learn lessons of compromise, civility, and respect for one another.”  Mackey Mitchell’s project team included John Burse, Steve Emer,  Dan Schneider,  Gregory Keppel,  Clint Smith, Andy Noll and Merrilee Hertlein.