It was a busy summer on campus, as work continued on several construction projects and plans for new buildings were announced.
To address the shortage of on-campus housing, the university announced a partnership with the private developer Greystar to construct two student housing facilities with 2,700 new beds. One facility will be located on the former Kincannon Hall site and will hold an estimated 1,200 beds, while the other will sit on West Row across from the School of Law and hold 1,500 beds. The facilities are estimated to be ready for occupancy by fall 2027.
Securing parking continues to be a headache for students both on and off-campus — an issue that the ongoing construction of a parking garage adjacent to the existing residential garage is expected to alleviate. The project, expected to be completed by the fall 2026, is estimated to add 1,300 spaces.
Additionally, construction is underway for a new mechanical plant behind Kinard Hall to improve energy efficiency on campus and support the power demands from new facilities. The plant is expected to be completed by spring 2026.
In July, the university announced the construction of the Early Learning and Evaluation Center, a two-story facility which will be located at the South Oxford Center. The center is designed to address a state need for early intervention options for young children with developmental delays and disabilities.
Demolition is underway for the center, which will host a development and auditory evaluation center for children, along with serving as the new home for the Willie Price Lab School, formerly housed in Kinard Hall. The plan features 10 preschool classrooms, along with two outdoor playgrounds and a dining facility.
For Alyce Krouse, director of the Willie Price Lab School, the change in location is a beneficial one.
“The Early Learning and Evaluation Center will give us the space to serve more children and shorten waitlists for local families,” Krouse said. “Childcare is a clear need in our community, and the new center positions us to address that need.”
The center is expected to cost over $30 million and is slated to open in 2027.
Work on the university’s data science center continues, with the existing center being renovated to meet seismic conditions. A new brick exterior has been installed, along with curtain walls and a new roof. Construction of a new 31,000 square foot data facility hosting the university’s supercomputer is underway. The site, located at the corner of Guyton Drive and Rebel Drive, will hold office spaces, an atrium, mechanical spaces and conference rooms. Both projects are expected to be completed by spring 2026.
On Rebel Drive, the new Kappa Alpha Order fraternity house has been completed. The new house totals approximately 43,000 square feet, making it the largest Kappa Alpha facility in the nation. The national chapter’s website claimed the new build may be “one of the largest fraternity houses overall, in the nation.”
Construction of the house began in fall 2023 across the street from the chapter’s old facility. The total cost for the project was estimated at $21 million. It features at least 80 bedrooms, kitchen facilities, study rooms, a game room and a patio.
With the completion of the facility, the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity moved into Kappa Alpha’s previous house.
Additionally, fraternities and sororities across campus continue to make renovations to their houses. Alpha Omicron Pi’s $8 million renovation of their house, including exterior and interior improvements, is ongoing, with opening planned in fall 2026. Construction of the new wing of Alpha Delta Pi’s house is expected to be completed by January 2026.
Construction on two fraternity houses began over the summer: Beta Theta Pi is adding 28,000-square-feet of living space to its facility, which will include 24 new bedrooms. Phi Delta Theta razed much of its previous structure in order to expand its house to 27,000-square-feet and 27 bedrooms at a cost estimate of $11.1 million. Both projects are expected to be completed by summer 2026.
