In response to the temporary closure of one of its residence halls, Auburn University’s Board of Trustees has voted to build new student housing.
The Opelika-Auburn News reports that the board approved a plan to build a new four-story, 125,000-square-foot residence hall on the Auburn, Alabama, campus that can house 371 students. They’ll began accepting construction bids for the $80 million project in the coming months.
The project has been pushed forward in response to the closing of Cambridge Hall for the entire 2023-24 academic year.
Storm damage from heavy rains led to “moisture concerns” that forced Auburn to close the hall. AU Housing sent out an email to parents and students notifying them of the closure just days after Cambridge residents began arriving at Auburn for move-in and a week before classes began on Aug. 16.
The residence hall had been expected to house 305 students this year.
Cambridge Hall is on track to reopen by spring 2026, according to the university.
In addition to the new Haley Concourse project, the Auburn Board of Trustees also gave approval for the university to move forward with phase two of the Quad renovation project.
About 51,320 square feet will be renovated in the Quad’s Teague Hall and Little Hall. Construction on the $22.5 million project will begin in May 2024. Construction on the two halls is expected to be finished before fall 2025.
The university plans to renovate all the Quad residence halls. The project will be complete in five phases. Two buildings are being renovated in each phase. Harper Hall and Brown Hall were completed in 2022. The entire Quad project is expected to be finished by fall 2028.
