Housing and Residence Life is offering an early look at Wichita State’s newest residence hall, The Suites, with tours available now through the end of semester.

The Suites is a 230-bed private residence hall adjacent to The Flats apartments on Innovation Campus. The building primarily features two-bedroom units, with some single-bedroom and four-bedroom units. Each room includes a private bathroom, a kitchenette area, a washer and dryer, and a living room.

Rooms at The Suites range from $3,415-$4,550 a semester.

Marketing and Outreach Coordinator Katie Austin said the new residence hall is a middle ground between a traditional residence hall and a full apartment. The Suites has more amenities than Shocker Hall, but not as many as The Flats, Austin said.

Both The Flats and The Suites are owned by The Flats of Kansas, a company that Regent David Murfin has 25% ownership of. Prominent businessmen Nestor Weigand, Steve Barrett, and Ivan Crossland own the other three quarters of the company.

WSU closed another residence hall, Fairmount Towers, in 2017, when The Flats was below 20% occupancy. Students who signed up to live at Fairmount Towers were moved into The Flats and Shocker Hall. That led to Shocker Hall being put over capacity, and rooms were doubled and tripled beyond their normal occupancy.

WSU hopes the issue of doubled and tripled rooms will be fixed by the opening of The Suites, Austin said.

The three residences create a stair-step path for residents, she said. Shocker Hall will be just for freshmen. The Suites will be for returning students and freshmen. The Flats will be solely for returning students.

The Suites opens in the fall semester.

“We encourage students to take a tour so they can see the space for themselves and really get a good idea of what living in The Suites would be like,” Austin said.

Tours of The Suites start and end at the front desk of The Flats. Visitors must wear close-toed shoes and email Austin to schedule a tour.