An aerial view of the new Residence Hall.A groundbreaking ceremony for the new Residence Hall 2020 at the University of Alabama at Birmingham will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 15.
The new residence hall, scheduled to open for the fall semester in 2020, will mirror the location of the New Freshman Residence Hall and will help meet the increased demand for on-campus housing. The plans allow for more than 730 students to join the 2,880 students housed in UAB’s six other residence halls.
“Our undergraduate enrollment continues to grow, and the next phase of on-campus development and growth is ready to begin,” said John Jones, Ph.D., vice president of Student Affairs. “The need for this new residence hall sends a phenomenal message to our future students in that we continue to be committed to provide a robust university experience through our residence life opportunities. Providing a residential component where students live together on campus creates communities across undergraduate academic disciplines and fuels our collegial and creative environment and further enhances the overall student experience at UAB.”
The 231,000-square-foot residence hall will be built near the Campus Green on property owned by UAB — the south half of the block bordered by Ninth and 10th avenues south and 16th and 17th streets. The U-shaped building will consist of dedicated study spaces, a storm shelter, multi-use office space, and a dining venue with three food vendors and seating capacity for 250.
“This is truly a win for our students,” said Marc Booker, director of Student Housing. “The residence halls play an integral role of providing transformational experiences for UAB undergraduate students as they pursue academic success and prepare for life beyond the campus. This new hall will enable us to serve, engage and retain more students than ever before.”
The residence hall has been designed intentionally to ensure sustainability is a priority, and it will become UAB’s first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver building. LEED provides a framework to create healthy, highly efficient and cost-saving green buildings. LEED certification ensures electricity cost savings, lower carbon emissions and healthier environments for the places people live, work, learn and play. There are four rating levels for LEED: Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum. The new College of Arts and Sciences building will become UAB’s first LEED-certified building when it opens in 2019.
The Residence Hall project architect is Goodwyn Mills and Cawood, Inc. The general contractor is M.J. Harris Construction Services, LLC.
Self-parking for the groundbreaking will be available at the site. UAB President Ray L. Watts and Jones will host the event.