Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

University of Southern Maine Opens First On-Campus Dorm

  • By Matt Jones
  • 08/16/23

The University of Southern Maine in Portland, Maine, recently celebrated the opening of its first on-campus residence hall and a new parking garage, according to local news. Portland Commons covers 210,000 square feet and has a capacity for 580 beds across 385 units. The parking garage features 500 spaces, as well as 58 Level Two electric-vehicle-charging stations. The university held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new residence hall on Tuesday, August 17, according to the Portland Press Herald.

“This 580-bed residential hall will transform the campus, creating a hub for students from USM, Maine Law, and SMCC, solidifying Portland’s reputation as a college town and USM as the hub,” said USM President Jacqueline Edmondson.

The dorm’s exterior is wrapped in floor-to-ceiling glass, according to Spectrum Local News, and is projected to use less than 50% of the energy of a standard building. The Portland Press Herald reports that the facility includes four wings, two that stand five stories and two that stand eight stories. The dorm cost $74 million and the parking garage $23.5 million, both funded through revenue bonds that the University of Maine System approved in 2020.

“Portland Commons is a transformative addition to the student experience at USM,” said Dominic Barraclough, Interim Vice President for Student Affairs and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs. “Undergraduates will now have a living experience in Portland to aspire toward during their first two years, and graduate students will have a place to live and find community and support while they complete their degrees.”

According to university officials, the goal of the project was to alleviate living expenses for small-town students and serve as a “campus heart” for residential and commuting students.

“By building our residence hall to earn Passive House certification and by making alternative transportation front and center in our new garage, we’ve decided we aren’t taking baby steps anymore,” said USM Director of Sustainability Aaron Witham. “We are now taking big strides toward our commitment to be a carbon-neutral university by 2040.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Illinois State University Breaks Ground on College of Fine Arts Transformation

    Illinois State University in Normal, Ill., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts transformation project, according to university news. The series of new constructions and renovations will upgrade spaces in Centennial East, the Center for the Visual Arts, and the Center for the Performing Arts, as well as replace the existing Centennial West facility with a new Commons Building.

  • Geometric abstract school illustration

    How Design Shapes Learning and Success

    Can the color of a wall, the curve of a chair, or the hum of fluorescent lights really affect how a student learns? More schools are beginning to think so.

  • Stanford Completes Construction on Graduate School of Education Facility

    Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., recently announced the end of construction on a new home for its Graduate School of Education, according to a news release. The university partnered with McCarthy Building Companies on the 160,000-square-foot project, which involved two major renovations and one new construction effort.

  • restroom sinks

    CSU Dominguez Hills Standardizes Plumbing to Improve Restroom Maintenance and Efficiency

    At California State University, Dominguez Hills, facilities leaders have taken steps to standardize restroom fixtures as part of a broader effort to improve maintenance efficiency and control long-term costs.