North Campus dorm to bring 650 more beds

The university was finally given the go-ahead to start work on a new North Campus dorm after years of disagreement between the university and the University System of Maryland.

The university was told Friday to proceed with Oakland Hall, the $88 million, 650-bed dorm, after the Board of Regents approved the project in June under the condition the university seek additional beds through private funding. System Chancellor Brit Kirwan determined enough student housing was being developed along Route 1, so he chose to support the housing project at the meeting.

"We're thrilled for lots of reasons," said Vice President for Student Affairs Linda Clement, adding the new building would "round out the community" and make the Denton Community, where the new dorm will be, livelier.

Oakland Hall is being designed as replacement housing for New and Old Leonardtown, which will be torn down to make room for the East Campus development. Clement said the new dorm should be completed by fall 2011 or January 2012 at the latest, though the exact date could vary based on the approval of public works, design plans and construction teams.

"It will give us a lot of relief for the time being with the housing crisis," said Pat Mielke, assistant vice president for student affairs.

Though the university and the Board of Regents have gone back and forth on the issue of another Denton Community dorm for years, the university has consistently demanded that any additional North Campus housing be built in the same traditional dorm style as the surrounding buildings. Mielke said it is easier for underclassmen to live in a dorm environment, which maximizes the number of students they are able to meet before moving into the more secluded apartment-style housing later in their college careers.

This demand held up housing construction, and the Board of Regents urged the university to pursue public-private partnership housing - such as South Campus Commons and University Courtyards - rather than spend money from the system's state-provided "fund balance." The two finally came to a compromise in June, when the regents said they would pay for this housing project if the university could prove it was also pursuing private housing options.

Despite the push for traditional dorm-style housing, Clement said the new building might consist of two-bedroom suites with their own bathrooms, though they would not have a kitchen. Prospective students should not get too excited yet, though. Facilities Management is seeking contractors to design the building, but nothing has been drawn up yet, said Carlo Colella, director of architecture, engineering and construction.

Combined with the construction of Commons 7, set to be completed in January 2010, the university will gain more than 1,000 beds. Though the housing waitlist is starting to shorten, Vice President for Administrative Affairs Doug Duncan was positive competition for housing on the campus will continue.

"Clearly there's a demand for housing, and that's not going to change," Duncan said.

Both Clement and Mielke said, depending on enrollment in the next few years, additional beds could possibly translate into welcoming juniors and seniors back to on-campus housing.

"This is absolutely great news for the campus," Duncan said. "We're thankful to the system for approving it."

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