By now, you may have seen (or heard) about the construction taking place in UConn’s South Campus. I’ve heard a lot of confusion about the entire situation, so I’m here to break down what you should know, and when everything will be happening. All information in this article can be found in the following presentation sent out by the Dean of Students.
- The Building Plans
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There will be one new building constructed in South campus. The ground floor will consist of a 500-seat dining hall, mail room, game room, laundry room, bike storage, living room, offices, and other multi-purpose spaces. There will be 233 residential rooms, with a total of 657 beds.
- The Room Layouts
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There are five different room designs. Traditional double suites will make up 6% of the new hall, and these will look familiar to students, as the layout is similar to the double suites in the existing buildings. 15% of the hall will consist of single semi-suites. These are made up of two bedrooms with a common area and a bathroom. 4% will be traditional single rooms with a bathroom, and 15% will be traditional doubles with bathrooms (these are somewhat comparable to Shippee C-Rooms). Finally, 60% of rooms will be double semi-suites, consisting of two double bedrooms, a bathroom, and a common area.
- Construction
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Construction has begun and will continue for several semesters. For those living nearby, there will only be noise between the hours of 8:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m., and it will be quiet during exam season, allowing students to focus and rest. Fences have been put up all around the area, closing some sidewalks as well as the Arjona Eastbound bus stop.
- Sustainability
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As UConn continuously works to improve sustainability, the new residence/dining hall is no exception. The building will be the first on the Storrs campus to use geothermal heat pumps for heating and cooling the building. It will also utilize zero-emissions fuel cells to generate electricity for the building.
- Timeline
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Currently, all construction is slated to be complete by the fall of 2024. This includes the residence hall, and dining hall, relocation of the historic house, completion of the sustainability measures, and some improvements to Mirror Lake.
Overall, I’m really looking forward to the new South Campus and adding an extra dining hall to my current rankings. It’s set to open fall of my junior year, so expect a follow-up article about the new buildings then!