Bowling Green selling bonds for WKU dorm renovations

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Western Kentucky University is working to making improvements to two campus dormitories after inadequacies were found.

Regents Hall and Normal Hall have since been vacated, and Western Kentucky University is now working to fix problems. The cost of these renovations is estimated to be over $50 million, so the WKU Student Life Foundation is working with the city to come up with that money. Bowling Green is issuing bonds to help the student life foundation come up with that money, as $50 million is too much to take out a loan on.

These bonds, however, will not add any debt to the city.

“These would be paid for by the Student Life Foundation. Revenues, fees they get for housing, that sort of thing. But usually, these type of projects are so large you have to spread them out over so many years. And so bonds, or debt bond debt makes more, more sense. And, you know, short term bank loan,” said Bowling Green city manager Jeff Meisel.

By acting as a conduit for these bonds, the City of Bowling Green and Western Kentucky University strengthen their ties.

“It’s a mutual beneficial relationship that we have with WKU. And so when they they reached out, you know, the Student Life Foundation, it’s kind of a separate entity kind of under because umbrella when they reached out, you know, I didn’t really think twice about it. It doesn’t hurt us, doesn’t hurt our, bond credit rating. It doesn’t go on our balance sheet as a is a debt outstanding debt. So really, it’s it’s harmless to us, and it’s a way that we can help them out,” Meisel said.

Work is still going on at Normal and Regents Hall and will still be vacated for the rest of the 2025-26 academic year.