The University of Kentucky is preparing for a transformative year in 2026, with several major construction and renovation projects scheduled to open across campus. University officials say the developments will modernize academic spaces, expand recreation options and add much-needed housing, reshaping daily campus life for students.
Among the most anticipated projects are the reopening of White Hall Classroom Building in mid-2026, the expanded Johnson Student Recreation Center in fall 2026 and the debut of a new residence hall, Kirwan-Blanding Hall, later that same year.
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Below is a closer look at what students can expect as these projects near completion.
The Johnson Student Recreation Center is undergoing a significant expansion designed to relieve crowding and broaden wellness offerings. Mark Lattin, UK’s executive director for campus recreation, said the facility will add approximately 40,000 square feet when it opens by late fall 2026.
The expansion will include a dramatically enlarged downstairs weight room, a new entryway with training space for selectorized equipment, and a 60-foot climbing wall with bouldering features. Additional amenities will range from indoor and outdoor functional training spaces to new group fitness studios for yoga and cycling. The building will also feature a dry sauna, cold plunge area, outdoor pickleball and tennis courts, and a Shake Smart food vendor.
Lattin said the second-floor spaces will be designed for flexibility, with rooms doubling as meditation or prayer spaces when not used for fitness programming. A multi-use athletic court will support soccer, futsal, volleyball, pickleball and basketball, while an outdoor adventure center will allow students to check out recreation equipment. Renovated locker rooms and a “Cats Den-like” lobby area will offer space for studying, watching sports or reserving for events.
Construction has already required temporary adjustments for students. Lattin said several amenities have been relocated, including the downstairs weight room, which is currently housed in the Seaton Center.
“To be able to do the construction that needs to happen inside the building, they’ve had to build temporary walls, they wall off the section that’s under construction,” Lattin said. “There’s still passage to get to the second floor (of the Johnson Center) through temporary stairs, but the normal first floor climbing wall, first floor weightroom is offline.”
Campus recreation leaders say the goal is to create a more accessible and engaging environment that supports student well-being.
“It is our vision that every student be able to find something in our catalog of offering that delights them, that helps them maximize their life and wellbeing while they’re here on campus, helps them connect to other students and to the institution in a way that it will help them ultimately graduate,” Lattin said. “It is our hope when students have graduated and they reflect back on their time, one of the things they remember is that thing we (they) did in the Johnson Center and Alumni Gym or on the intramural field.”
In addition to recreation upgrades, parking capacity near the Johnson Center will also expand. Renovations to the Sports Center Garage, including an overhead pedestrian bridge connecting it to the Johnson Center, are expected to be completed by summer 2026. According to UK Transportation Services, the project will add approximately 1,200 parking spaces to offset losses tied to the Albert B. Chandler Hospital expansion.
White Hall Classroom Building, a longstanding academic facility on campus, is scheduled to reopen by summer 2026, with classrooms ready for students in the fall semester. Kevin Locke, UK associate vice president of planning, design and construction, said the renovation is aimed at updating both the building’s infrastructure and its learning environments.
Planned improvements include new indoor and outdoor collaborative spaces, updated exterior and landscaping along the building’s south side, renovated first-floor auditoriums and U-shaped conference rooms. The project will also add Mathskeller and tutoring spaces to support student learning.
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According to the UK facilities website, the renovated White Hall will feature roughly 50 classrooms, including two 290-seat lecture halls and two 100-seat lecture halls. Students will also have access to a micro-market, Ricoh printing and copying services, and upgraded HVAC and ADA-compliant systems.
Locke said the renovation addresses decades of changes in teaching methods.
“It (White Hall) was built in 1969, I believe was when it opened, and it hadn’t been renovated very much,” Locke said. “As a lot has happened in education pedagogy since 1969, we’re doing a much needed upgrade to the building.”
University officials hope the upgraded building will serve as an academic hub, remaining open later into the evening to accommodate undergraduate study and collaboration.
UK’s housing footprint will also grow in 2026 with the opening of Kirwan-Blanding Hall, a new residence hall on Central Campus scheduled to welcome students in the fall. The building replaces the former Kirwan-Blanding towers, which were demolished in 2020.
According to UK Campus Housing, the four-story residence hall will house up to 649 students and feature two-bedroom suite-style units. Each suite will include full-size XL beds, semi-private bathrooms, granite countertops and fully furnished living spaces.
Additional amenities will include air-conditioning, wired and wireless internet access, study rooms and community kitchens on every floor, laundry facilities, package lockers and a 24/7 staffed front desk. The listed housing rate is $6,143 per semester, and each unit will include a refrigerator and microwave.
UK Housing had not responded for comment at the time of publication.
Originally reported by Abby Sears, Staff Reporter in Kentucky Kernel
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