In support of the campus master plan Gould Evans did with the University of Central Missouri (UCM) in 2009, a new center of student life has been added at a primary campus gateway near Warrensburg's historic downtown. The project celebrates the arrival onto campus with views down across the football stadium and new apartment style housing for upper division students directly across from the central academic quadrangles of campus. The project is placed on a primary student walkway into campus from residential areas to the north. A variety of building and site amenities, including community rooms, retail stores, outdoor dining an event plaza, courtyards and a sand volleyball court were placed along the walkway to create an active social center.
Programmed and designed to be more than just a student apartment complex for over 320 third and fourth-year students, The Crossing – South at Holden is a true mixed-use center. Located at the juncture between Warrensburg's downtown district and the University, the site extends and expands the retail offerings in this city of 20,000. The lower levels of the buildings house a variety of retail entities: an artisanal pizza restaurant, an ice cream shop, a coffee café, a convenience store and a large University Store with apparel and gifts. All are positioned to serve the community as much as UCM students and staff, with the intent of expanding engagement among campus and local residents.