The University of Montana broke ground this week on construction of its newest student residence hall; the first on the Missoula campus since 1994.
University of Montana executives, housing officials and students gathered August 13th to celebrate the groundbreaking of the school’s tenth residence hall.
The new 174-thousand square foot facility is set to open in three years on the campus’s southwest corner. UM President Seth Bodnar says the decision to build a new residence hall comes on the heels of the state’s acute housing crisis.
“This housing challenge has been exacerbated by one of the good things happening at our university which is three straight years of enrollment growth,” Bodnar said.
While UM’s enrollment has increased in recent years it remains short of its peak a decade ago.
Bodnar says students on average can live in UM housing for about half of what it would cost off campus.
UM Housing Director John Nugent tells MTPR the $80-million-dollar, 600-bed residence hall will offer modern conveniences, such as community kitchens and feature a variety of social and private spaces.
The as-of-yet unnamed facility is the latest example of UM’s push to refresh its infrastructure - part of a broader effort to further improve student recruitment and retention rates.
