UAB has officially dedicated its new freshman residence hall with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. It will allow more than 700 students to join the 2,180 students housed in UAB’s five other residence halls.
From left: John Jones, Linda Lucas, President Ray Watts, Garrett Stephens, Carolyn Farley, Marc Booker, Robert McMains University of Alabama at Birmingham administrators have officially dedicated the new freshman residence hall.
On Wednesday, Sept. 2, President Ray L. Watts, along with other administrators, hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to formally present the 217,000-square-foot residence hall. Located at the corners of Ninth and 10th avenues south and 16th and 17th streets south, the U-shaped building consists of an eight-story tower and a four-story wing that contains common space and multiuse office space in addition to housing.
The new freshman residence hall will help meet increased demand for on-campus housing, which has been filled to capacity for the last four years, and will allow more than 700 students to join the 2,180 students housed in UAB’s five other residence halls.
“It sends a phenomenal message that we’re at the beginning of the next phase of the development and growth of UAB,” Vice President of Student Affairs John Jones, Ph.D., said. “We want to provide a robust experience for our students, and part of that experience is providing a residential component that allows them to develop outside the classroom.”
The new residence hall is the first on campus to be universally designed, which will provide its residents and visitors with an environment that is equally accessible and adaptable to all users of the building.