After almost two years of planning and renovating, the University Residences Alumni and Guest Center (URGC) in Cary Quadrangle is set to reopen in fall 2026.
The URGC is a key gathering space for campus visitors, including prospective and admitted students, families and alumni. Student staff provide information and lead tours for those interested in Purdue housing and how it has changed over time. Tours are also coordinated through admissions, special program visits, alumni groups and university campus partners. Throughout the year, the guest center welcomes around 20,000 to 30,000 visitors.
“We represent the rich history and the evolving future of residential life at Purdue, making the Alumni and Guest Center a meaningful and strategic stop for guests. We provide visitors with a centralized space to gather, learn and experience the residential community firsthand,” says Kim Lanoue, associate director of guest relations and recruiting for University Residences. “We hope that when guests enter, they immediately feel welcomed and supported, and when they leave, they carry with them a strong sense of belonging and confidence in Purdue’s commitment to the student experience.”
The space has been utilized in different ways by Boilermakers since the late 1930s, and this renovation aims to provide more opportunity for connection with a design that better reflects Purdue’s history and future aspirations — without losing any of the original feel of the iconic Cary architecture.
Terri Smith-Wright, assistant director of capital projects for University Residences, approached the interior design with impactful intent. The functions of the space will be flipped from the current arrangement so that visitors' first impressions are a modernized, smaller reception desk where the main, traditional architectural features of the beloved campus building are located. Then the other half of the center will feature more open space, new video experiences and a mock-up of a Cary Quad student room with real furniture.
“My hope is that the environment will increase and encourage connectivity between the visitors and the student staff who are there giving tours,” Smith-Wright says. “There will be a larger chance to interact that the existing space didn’t allow for. I’m hoping there will be even more connectedness in the experience.”
The University Residences team is particularly excited about showcasing two of Cary Quad’s oldest traditions — senior tables and alumni door plates. Visitors will be able to see a select archival, decorated senior table at the renovated URGC. In addition, one of the original doors from a Cary room is on display. Alumni door plates can also be requested if the alum has graduated living in one of the university’s residence halls.
“It’s a spectacular space with so much history. The environment will show who we have been as an institution, who we are now and who we see ourselves to be in the future,” Smith-Wright says. “For many people it will be their first impression of University Residences and Dining & Culinary, but it’s also important that our alumni come in and feel connected and excited about the future.”
Since the renovation began, the guest center moved to an open space in Cary Northeast, but University Residences is excited to welcome the staff back to their updated home in the central tower. Staff plan to have all renovations completed by summer 2026, allowing student workers enough time to announce the reopening and welcome visitors in the fall.