Housing in Harrisburg: The city of Harrisburg, Pa., is looking for a private developer to design and build student housing, according to The Patriot-News. Up to 350 units of student housing would serve area colleges like Harrisburg University of Science and Technology and Harrisburg Area Community College. The city may dangle tax-exempt bonds to entice developers to participate. The story says city officials hope the housing would help Harrisburg evolve as a higher-education center.

Building on the river: Colleges around La Crosse, Wis., have various design and construction projects planned for 2008, reports The La Crosse Tribune. Viterbo University will update its master plan and is considering construction of two new buildings: a nursing-school building and student housing. The University of Wisconsin at La Crosse is finalizing plans for a $44-million academic building; the university will break ground in 2009. The university is also considering whether to push forward on building an athletic center. Western Technical College will break ground this year on a training center.

A legion of neighbors: The New York Times reports that the proposed Westchester University faces stiff opposition from residents around the land where it will be built in Thornwood, N.Y. The university is supported by the Legion of Christ, or Legionaries, an order of Roman Catholic priests. The order has already built a conference center on some of the 262 acres it owns; the university would serve about 3,000 students.

Home away from home: Old Dominion University will renovate one of the original buildings on its campus, transforming it into a center for international students, according to The Virginian-Pilot. Hughes Hall was originally built as the library for Old Dominion College. It will be renamed Dragas Hall, after the Dragas family, which has supported the college for many years.

Light on the land: Bob Light, a businessman and local politician in Carlsbad, N.M., has given 37 acres to New Mexico State University at Carlsbad. It’s merely the latest plot Mr. Light has donated in a long history of supporting the university, notes the Current-Argus — the fifth and last donation of land that adds up to 160 acres. Mr. Light said he hopes the university will build student housing on the latest plot.

Up, up, up: A $14-million expansion of a classroom and laboratory building at Montana State University-Great Falls College of Technology has brought the college its first elevator, according to a story in the Great Falls Tribune. The 40,000-square-foot expansion, which will serve existing degree programs and may be home to new programs in wind energy, is the first phase of continuing expansions at the college.

Texas renovations: Howard College, in Texas, is planning some $21.6-million in renovation and infrastructure projects, according to the Big Spring Herald. The renovation projects may lead the college to tear down and replace some structures.