Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

California Northstate Receives Approval on New Modular Residence Hall

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 09/29/20

A private for-profit university in northern California has received city approval to build a new on-campus dormitory for its medical students. California Northstate University, located near Sacramento, will be constructing a five-story, 104,500 square-foot student dormitory on its Rancho Cordova campus, with 400 rooms in two separate buildings. Construction plans also include a separate free-standing, 9,237-square-foot cafeteria building with another 16 rooms.

Architectural rendering of approved residence halls.

CNSU has colleges of pharmacy, medicine, psychology and health sciences at two campuses. The university wants to expand enrollment to include international students. "In order to do so, they need to provide housing options," according to public documents.

The building will be located on the site of an "underused" parking lot next to the existing Health Science College campus, which typically enrolls around 300 students. Amenities will include laundry facilities, a lounge and a recreation room. On-site vehicle, electric charge stations and bicycle parking are also part of the plans.

According to campus leadership, architecture of the dormitory will include both modern and traditional design elements, with "hipped roofs," canopies and horizontal lines with cream to light brown alternating colors. The building will use modular construction, being manufactured off-site and assembled on campus. The exterior of the building will then be constructed on the outside of the modular units once they're assembled. Design was done by Edmond Jacobs, an architect in Modesto, CA.

The university said it was investing $30 million in the project.

The campus also announced plans to build a medical center in Elk Grove, which was expected to be completed in 2022.

University President and CEO, Alvin Cheung, said in a statement that the Rancho Cordova City Council and its staff "worked diligently" to keep the dorm project compatible with the surrounding business park. "The city was great to work with and we look forward to bringing more educational facilities to Rancho Cordova," he noted.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • California K–12 District Completes Elementary School Campus Replacement

    The West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) in Richmond, Calif., recently announced the completion of a replacement campus for Lake Elementary School, according to a news release. The school has capacity for 470 students between Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and sixth grade.

  • Photo credit - Chuck Coates

    Florida District Modernizes Central Energy Plants at Two High Schools

    Flagler Schools, a public school district in Flagler County, Fla., recently partnered with Matern Professional Engineering to modernize the central energy plants at two of its high schools, according to a news release. The project is part of a larger, district-wide effort to reduce energy costs and operational expenses.

  • UT System Approves First Funds for New Campus

    The University of Texas System Board of Regents recently approved funds to build the first facility of a new campus in far west Fort Worth, Texas, according to university news. UTA West will serve as a branch of the University of Texas at Arlington and is scheduled to open in fall 2028.

  • DFW-Area District Opens New Replacement Middle School

    The Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District near Fort Worth, Texas, recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new replacement middle school campus, according to a news release. The new facility for Wayside Middle School, originally established in 1964, was built on the site of the former district administration building and funded through Bond Proposition A in 2023.