East Central University in Ada, Okla., is planning to build a 125-bed residence hall.
The university says the 39,000-square-foot, three-story facility is scheduled to welcome students by fall 2018.
The construction will be paid for through a $10 million bond issued by the Oklahoma Development Finance Authority’s Master Real Property Lease Program.
“This new residence hall allows us to bring new housing options to our campus and to better meet the needs of our students,” says University President Dr. Katricia G. Pierson. “Housing revenue will be used to service the debt on the new residence hall over the next 20 years.”
The most recently built residence hall on campus was Tiger Commons in 2003. Before that, Pesagi Hall was built in 1965.
The new student housing will feature 125 beds at double occupancy, five resident assistant rooms, five study rooms, one group study room, two floor lounges, one building lounge, two laundry rooms, one recreational room, one community kitchen, an elevator and mailboxes for residents.
In recent years, the university has had a waiting list for housing, and several people have been turned away because of the lack of space, says Deborah Chalmers, director of Housing and Residential Life.
The site selected for the new residence hall was chosen because it creates a more pedestrian-oriented campus; it provides better access to areas businesses; and it is close to the campus cafeteria.
