Ballard Wing residents of the Wallace Residence Center will move to Stevenson Wing on Jan. 10, 2026, according to Corey Ray, the University of Idaho’s director of Housing and Residence Life.
Residents of Ballard were told earlier this fall that they would need to vacate their dorms at either the end of the fall semester or the beginning of the spring semester to allow for remodeling.
Ray hosted two open forums on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 for Ballard residents to ask questions.
“We’re not going to pack your room, and you don’t need to pack in a traditional sense. You can just put your stuff in the bin as-is and it’ll be transferred to your room.” Ray said.
The move will begin one day before the scheduled return date of Jan. 11 for students living in the dorms during the spring semester. This is to give affected students the opportunity for extra time, Ray said. In total, 170 Ballard residents will be affected by the move.
“We want to support you all through this process and ensure that you complete your finals and have a positive end to your semester,” Ray said. “The university is committed to helping you move and make this as smooth as we can for you all.”
The renovations to Stevenson increase the overall safety and quality of life, and will give residents the ability to personalize their room. Furniture will no longer be nailed to the ground, Ray said. New carpeting, paint and air conditioning units will be installed in all rooms.
“Many of these buildings were built roughly in the ‘60s, and we think that creating that healthy, new environment can help lighten the mood and increase productivity. Students care about where they live. We are trying to take care of the needs of both current and future students,” Ray said.
Ray also said there will be no increase in costs resulting from these furnishing improvements, which affected students were concerned about.
The nearly completed renovations to Stevenson and upcoming renovations to Ballard are part of a $162 million construction project, which also includes renovating Theophilus Tower and building the new South Hill apartments.