The Department of Housing and Residential Life is working with American Campus Communities to build a new dormitory complex to accommodate the growing number of incoming students.
The complex will be designed as two buildings attached to one another and is set to open fall 2021. The dormitories will be located near San Marcos Hall and the President’s House. Construction is expected to begin January or February 2020.
Roseanne Proite, director of DHRL, said the residence hall will be designed as two-in-one and attached like Guallardia and Chautauqua.
“It’s going to be almost 900 beds and instead of one huge hall, we said let’s have two halls and connect them,” Proite said.
According to a census completed by DHRL, the 2019 fall semester freshman class reached about 6,300 students; the department houses approximately 94% to 96% of freshmen students. DHRL typically does a census on incoming freshmen during the 12th class day every semester to keep up with living accommodations for students.
Additionally, Proite said DHRL staff is working to make the new residence halls more affordable to live in compared to other dormitories on campus.
“Our target is to have (the new halls) cost in the middle range of halls,” Proite said. “Even though it’s going to be a brand new hall, we don’t want to charge what a brand new hall costs to live in.”
The process of developing the newest halls on campus began with nine companies seeking to obtain a contract to work on the dorms. After meeting and interviewing with the nine developers, DHRL staff chose five finalists, selecting American Campus Communities: a development company that constructs housing for college students.
Student Government President Corey Benbow said the dorms can be beneficial to the university and its growth.
“I hope they are a good investment to the campus,” Benbow said. “We do need more housing.”
However, Benbow said he has concerns about parking in regards to the new dorms being built.
“I worry, when we’re adding new dorms, if we’ve thought about the investment in infrastructure, especially if we’re not getting a new parking garage until 2028,” Benbow said.
Ira Froitzheim, post-baccalaureate student, said it is a good idea for the university to have a new dormitory, especially one of its projected capacity.
“I think it’s a good idea because we have so many freshman; it’s good they get a new place to live,” Froitzheim said. “Students need their space. San Marcos isn’t that big so it will help to have more dorms.”
A name for the residence hall has yet to be assigned.
Students are expected to be able to choose the residence halls as a choice by fall 2021.