In March, Baker University announced they entered an agreement with the Madl family to acquire The Lodge for student housing. The Lodge is a locally owned motel and RV park with a 9-hole mini golf course at 502 Ames St. 

The Lodge and the “Office” lounge, the motel bar located within the main building, have served as a hangout for visitors and locals for many years. The Madl family has owned the property since the 1930s and approached Baker University about the sale, according to Dean of Students Dr. Cassy Bailey.

Baker will gain access to the property by May 25, which is when renovations to rooms are set to begin and are expected to be completed by the start of the fall semester. Details about the renovations are being finalized as the spring semester closes out.  

“Our retention is going up, more people are staying on campus and the freshman class keeps growing,” Assistant Dean of Students Nick Goodman said when asked why Baker decided to purchase The Lodge. “Honestly, we’re running out of beds, so we need more space to be able to accommodate everybody’s needs.” 

The current plan is to have 17 rooms for students, with two students per room, one room for resident life staff, one laundry room and one “guest room” for potential students’ families. While The Lodge’s website lists rooms with kitchenettes as an option, Goodman said students will follow the same rules for mini-fridges and microwaves that are in place for dorms outlined in the student handbook.  

Students are already signing up to live in the soon-to-be renovated space. “We are at about 75% full at the Lodge so far and expect it to be full to capacity for the fall,” Goodman said.

While housing priority for the Horn & Markham Apartments is based on a points system, Dean Bailey says the Lodge is for rising seniors, juniors and sophomores. Students are now allowed to sign up for a space at The Lodge without a roommate. This change pairs individuals with another person, this could be a current or new transfer student.

After Goodman sent out an email opening room to every class rank, sophomore Audrey Valdez and freshman Addison Woods began making plans to move to The Lodge together in the fall of 2024.  Valdez says she is excited but feels like she is “going in blind”. 

“What really sold it for me was the fact that you don’t have to have a meal plan,” Valdez said. “I don’t really eat in the cafe as it is with my schedule, so I am just not going to have one.”  

When plans to turn The Lodge into student housing were announced, many students and community members had questions about the logistics. The initial message to students did not include pricing or much detail about what this change would look like for students and the community.  

“At first, I thought it was a weird purchase and wondered why in the world would the school buy an old motel,” Woods said. “But now I think that it will help the school have more room for students and that the lodge itself will give students the opportunity to somewhat live off campus but not be entirely on their own.”  

Community members were quick to voice their opinions and concerns on Baker University’s announcement via Facebook. Many of the comments mentioned the fact that The Lodge was Baldwin City’s only motel, especially since the recent sale of the Three Sister Inn, also located on Ames St.

“I was really surprised by the news,” Baldwin City resident and Chair of The Baldwin City Library Board of Trustees Megan Luttrell said. “Does Baker really need it?’ ‘Why not build something new?’ ‘Why the only hotel in town?” 

Dean Bailey says the goal of this sale is to offer students “safe, affordable, and well-maintained” living options as the university continues to grow. She stressed that this purchase was made with students in mind.

“We know there’s a lack of housing in Baldwin City and we know we would like to have students to stay close to campus,” Dean Bailey said. “And to build a property from the ground up is shockingly more expensive and takes more time than I imagined, so it is so much more economical for us to refurbish this space for our students.”

More details about the renovation and potential name change will be available closer to the start of the fall semester.  

The Madl family did not respond to requests for comment.