UConn Board of Trustees Approves New Residence Hall

The Board of Trustees for the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Conn., recently approved the construction of a new residence hall in south campus.

A university news release reports that the new residence hall, scheduled to open in fall 2024, will have 657 beds and a dining hall with a capacity of 500. The new dorm will stand near the existing South Campus Residence Halls to create a new, shared courtyard between the two.

The project’s budget is $215 million, and funds will come mainly through UConn-issued special obligation bonds, according to the news release. Amenities are set to include communal and private lounges and common spaces, a game room, seminar rooms and meeting rooms, bicycle storage, laundry facilities and multipurpose spaces. The new dining hall was also designed to lessen wait times at other campus dining facilities.

The facility was designed with sustainability features meeting LEED Gold requirements and Connecticut High Performance Building standards. The building will use geothermal wells to tap into the planet’s stable temperature and reduce energy consumption, the news release reports. Landscaped stormwater management areas will also limit water runoff into the nearby Mirror Lake.

The university partnered with architecture firm Sasaki for the building’s design, according to the UConn website.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Planning with Clarity: Using AI to Make Better Campus Decisions, Not Just Better Designs

    Higher education leaders are being asked to make increasingly high-stakes decisions about campus facilities amid greater uncertainty than ever before. Social and economic pressures, shifting enrollment, and evolving learning models compete with growing deferred maintenance needs to strain even the most robust infrastructure budgets.

  • Can AI Help Build Stronger Communities in Student Housing?

    Student housing success is shifting from operational performance to student experience, with belonging now at the center. A recent 2025 report underscores a growing emphasis on student well-being, community, and engagement, signaling that expectations now extend beyond logistics to ensure students feel supported in their living environments. AI is enabling that shift by reducing administrative workload and giving teams more time to focus on meaningful student engagement.

  • Minnesota District Converts Middle School into Community Hub

    White Bear Lake Area Schools in White Bear Lake, Minn., recently announced the end of a major renovation project that converted a former middle school into a new centralized district and community hub, according to a news release.

  • Haws Corporation Marks 120th Anniversary

    Haws Corporation, which provides hydration and emergency safety solutions worldwide, recently announced that the company is celebrating its 120th anniversary this year, according to a news release.