Designed to improve freshman student housing, phase one of the East Campus Residence Hall Complex at the University of Delaware, Newark, is scheduled for completion this fall.
This phase includes the construction of two five-story resident buildings on the east end of Harrington Beach. The buildings will total 260,000 square feet of space and 767 beds, providing students with a comfortable living environment. The residence halls will house incoming first-year students and will be designed to foster community building with communal bathrooms, open lounges, and added gathering space for students to network and study together.
The project consists of extensive site development, which includes landscaping and site finishes, walkways, fire lanes and utility infrastructure that will include connections to the central utility plant. The utility plant controls the university’s steam distribution, chilled water and electricity. In addition, office space for the University’s Office of Residential Life will be part of Phase One.
In addition, 66 percent of all work has been awarded to local Delaware subcontractors in an effort to contribute to the state’s economic recovery and boost job creation.
During the planning process, students were surveyed to determine what types of furniture they wanted to see in their new rooms.
The three planned phases of the major expansion project will total $71 million. The buildings eventually will be complemented by a new dining hall and a renovated Harrington residential complex.
The architect is ABHA Architects (Wilmington, Dela). Skanska USA is construction manager for the project.
