Mississippi State University is currently drafting plans to build a new residential hall between Rice and McComas Halls. Construction on the estimated $25 million project could begin next year, and the hall is slated to open for the 2010 fall semester.
Ann Bailey, director of housing and residence life, said the new four-story hall will provide 350 bed spaces for on campus housing. The building is expected to be co-residential, housing freshmen, sophomores and upper classmen.
The new residence hall will team up with Hathorn, Cresswell and Rice halls, creating a four-building residence village mimicking Zacharias Village. Bailey said the university currently has no plans to dedicate the village.
“[The new residence hall] will have fully furnished double occupancy bedrooms, each with their own bathroom and also temperature control,” she said.
Rooms dedicated for kitchen and laundry use will be located on each floor.
The building will also feature study areas and spaces for learning communities.
Bailey said the current plan is to move Appalachian Leadership Program offices into the new hall.
“We’re developing ways to bring academics into the residence halls,” Bailey said. “We’d love to have teaching and learning space, office space and possibly a couple of classrooms.”
Bailey said the cost of living in the new residence hall for students will be more expensive than the cost of living in an older hall.
“We have a sliding price scale,” she said. “If someone wants to pay a non-renovated price, then they can. Naturally our residence halls are priced on what you get living there.”
Fred Mock, associate director for facilities and maintenance, said the building’s external design will be somewhat parallel to the renovated styles of Hathorn and Cresswell halls.
“People can expect the building will look a little different from what we’ve been building,” he said. “Zacharias Village has a very traditional architecture. [The new hall] will draw similarities from Hathorn but in a more contemporary style.”
Parking services director Mike Harris said new parking lots will be constructed and older lots will be expanded to accommodate the inhabitants of the new hall.
“We will add 250 spaces south of the tennis courts and about 50 to 75 behind Rice Hall,” he said. “If we need additional spaces, we would more than likely designate some of the Commuter East spaces for residence hall parking. We would then push Commuter East a little to the north.”
Harris said the amount of redesignation in the Commuter East parking area would depend on how many extra spaces are provided during the expansion of the Rice Hall parking area.
Currently, university officials are still in the design phase of the new residence hall project.
Mock said the first set of plans should be developed by next month.
“We won’t go out and bid for a contract until the new year,” he said. “Construction probably will not begin until 2009.”
When the bidding process begins, officials will choose between contractors that have the best bonding capacity, insurance and qualifications, Mock said.