FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) — The University of Arkansas Board of Trustees voted Friday (Nov. 11) to approve a project that includes two new residence halls on Stadium Drive.
The residence halls will include two 350-bed semi-suite buildings that will primarily house first- and second-year students, but could also house some juniors and seniors as needed.
The project also includes retail dining, multi-use meeting rooms, advising and administrative offices, laundry, vending, kitchen, front desk and communal areas.
The existing dining hall in Pomfret Hall will be renovated and expanded to help serve the new halls.
The new residence halls will be located south of Pomfret Hall, east of Bud Walton Arena and west of the Fayetteville High School baseball field.
The project will cost between $75.5 and $78.1 million and it will be funded through university housing cash reserves and university housing supported bonds, as well as potential donor gifts.
Since the summer, several houses in the area between West Clinton Drive and South Virginia Drive have been demolished.
Next, the Board of Trustees will have to vote to approve bonds for the project.
Currently, upperclassmen have little opportunity to live on campus because of the 5,732 bed capacity in on-campus housing.
