LSU Breaks Ground on $200M Residential Project

Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, La., recently broke ground on a new residential complex, according to university news. The South Quad residential project will consist of two buildings and add a total of 1,266 beds for freshmen students. The development comes with a price tag of $200 million, and it’s scheduled to open to students in fall 2027.

The facilities will house students from the university’s College of Engineering and the E.J. Ourso College of Business. “This isn’t just about breaking ground,” said Jeremy Doss, senior vice president of RISE: A Real Estate Company, in a university news story. “It’s about opening the door to new opportunities for our students.”

The development comes through a public-private partnership model, the same that the university has used to construct a variety of recent projects. LSU is partnering with RISE and Lemoine for construction services, as well as with Brailsford & Dunleavy and CSRS for design.

According to a university news story from June 2025, the project was spurred by a recent growth in student enrollment. The fall 2025 freshman class of about 8,000 is the school’s largest incoming class ever, breaking the record for the eighth consecutive year.

“Frankly, it’s a good problem to have, because other institutions around the country and some around the state are faltering,” said Interim President Matt Lee. “There are some challenges that come with that. I’d be disingenuous if I didn’t say that.”

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Texas District Breaks Ground on Second High School

    The Waller Independent School District in Waller, Texas, recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for what will become its second high school, according to a news release.

  • Ohio State University Opens 26-Story Hospital

    The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center recently opened in Columbus, Ohio, standing 26 stories and covering 1.9 million square feet, according to a university news release. The project marks ten years of effort and is the university’s largest single-facility construction project ever.

  • UTampa Breaks Ground on STEM Academic Facility

    The University of Tampa in Tampa, Fla., recently broke ground on one of its largest academic facilities ever, according to a news release. The Dickey Science Innovation Center will measure 153,000 square feet and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.

  • Photo credit: Elkus Manfredi Architects

    University of Virginia Selects Design-Build Team for New Residential Complex

    The University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va., recently announced that it has selected a design-build team for a new upper-class residential development on campus, according to a news release. Capstone Development Partners—in partnership with Elkus Manfredi Architects and the Hoar Construction/Hourigan construction team—will move forward with the three-building, 310,000-square-foot housing facility.