The University of Massachusetts Boston has broken ground on the first-ever student housing on campus—a $120 million, 260,000-square-foot residence hall.
The university says the 1,077-bed residence hall will be available to first-year UMass Boston students, and is expected to open for the fall 2018 semester.
“This is an historic moment for the University of Massachusetts Boston," says UMass Boston Chancellor J. Keith Motley. "On-campus student housing is fundamental to our continued growth and development and is central to the success of our strategic and master plans. We know that residence halls promote student development, enhance student success, and help to pave the way toward graduation.”
The student-housing complex will consist of two buildings that range from seven to 12 stories. The buildings will offer a mixture of styles ranging from single-occupancy apartments to four-person units and include living-learning amenities such as seminar rooms, study lounges, a dining hall, and other spaces to promote academic and personal development.
The UMass Building Authority has contracted with Capstone Development Partners, a builder of student housing, to lease a portion of the campus to construct the student housing complex. Capstone will develop the facility, which will be owned and operated by a nonprofit management entity.
UMass Boston will oversee the student life at the facility and provide resident assistants and other support to enhance student success.
