Students can expect construction on the new Gordon Commons and Lakeshore residence hall to begin in the coming weeks as part of a vast University of Wisconsin Division of Housing plan to overhaul the campus neighborhoods.

Brendon Dybdahl, spokesperson for UW Housing, said the new Gordon Commons, slated to be completed by 2012, has been carefully organized into building phases so students relying on the facility will be minimally inconvenienced by the construction.

He also said the current Gordon Commons is becoming dated and does not provide for much flexibility in alternative arrangements for seating and serving lines.

The new facility will be similar to the marketplace layout of Rheta’s, and will create green space for outdoor dining when the old facility is demolished in 2013.

The Lakeshore neighborhood will also be transformed by the addition of a new and currently unnamed residence and dining hall by 2012, he said.

Plans for development indicate the residence hall will house 498 new residents and the dining facility will eventually replace the current Holt Commons.

Dybdahl said the new residence hall will be located near Bradley Hall and will overlook Lake Mendota.

Gary Brown, director of planning and construction, said the driving motivation behind the new projects remains to provide residents with up-to-date facilities that account for the changing needs of students.

He said though these projects will break ground in the coming weeks, renovations to the entrance of Witte Hall will begin within the month and plans for a new swimming and hockey practice facility will dramatically change the campus neighborhoods.

“Especially in the case of the old Gordon Commons, these facilities aren’t meeting the needs of food service and students,” Brown said.

He also said the projects will allow for new student meeting spaces, particularly with the creation of a new Multicultural Student Center on the first floor of Witte.

Dybdahl said UW is the only Big Ten university that does not guarantee housing for freshmen and inevitably some are turned away or forced to live in temporary housing until units are available.

“Housing is a very popular option for freshmen, so it’s a great problem to have,” he said. “We want to alleviate some of the need and provide more housing for those that want to live there.”

Dybdahl said though students will likely raise concerns about the dust and noise associated with large-scale construction, Housing will stay in close contact with residents throughout the renovations.

As part of the contract with UW, workers will not begin work as early as they typically would prefer out of consideration for residents, and work during finals will be limited, he said.

He added though the majority of students will only live in university housing for one year, the projects will serve in benefiting UW as a whole.