The University of Utah is moving forward with a $155 million student housing project, the first step in a long-term initiative to transform the campus into a more “traditional” residential college.
U President Taylor Randall described the desire for the move in the context of “college town magic, ” a concept that brings more students on campus and aims to remove the U from its “commuter college“ image.
“It’s not only the infrastructure build, but it’s also the culture building and the activities … how we actually build that kind of magic with [students] as well,” Randall said.
The first phase, which began construction this fall, will add more than 1,400 beds to campus housing by fall 2026.
Located directly south of Kahlert Village, the six-story, 349,342-square foot building is designed for first and second-year students, featuring a mix of room options, including single and double rooms, semi-suites and full suites.
The university has partnered with American Campus Communities (ACC) for the project, which will see ACC managing the construction and operation of the building while absorbing the financials.
The partnership is expected to yield an additional 6,000 beds over the coming years, hoping to alleviate on-campus housing shortages.
“We have close to 6,000 [housing units] for undergraduates, not including what’s available for graduate and family housing. The plan is to increase that to 12,000 on campus,” Randall said. “We’re also considering downtown locations and potentially expanding the campus into downtown Salt Lake, finding ways to create community there.”
ACC will own the building under a 55-year lease for the land, after which ownership will revert to the university. The deal allows the university first right of refusal if the building is sold, and any future owners must have experience managing residential housing.
“Through these public-private partnerships, we are able to bring in a private partner that has the cash and the ability to build these more quickly, and then over time, they will manage these facilities, but they will eventually be the university’s facility,” said Rebecca Walsh, U communications director.
The U will manage the building’s first floor, which is expected to include a gaming hub, dining area, fitness center and outdoor-themed amenities such as bouldering walls and ski lockers. ACC will manage the rest of the residential portion.
“They’re managing it, and they collect the rents to cover their costs, which are paid through the rents students provide,” Walsh said. “Students will still apply through the HRE portal to live in this housing, but it will be managed by a private company.”
The university’s Board of Trustees has requested a comprehensive plan for integrating the new development with existing on-campus services, including parking.
“We’re in the middle of a massive campus master planning process that imagines parking positioned on the periphery, allowing the core of campus to become more walkable,” Randall explained. “The plan includes cheaper parking options with frequent shuttle services.”
The exterior lots include areas in Fort Douglas and Research Park, with possible additional space at the south end of campus. Plans also call for larger parking structures to increase capacity, though the total number of spaces is still being determined.
“The goal is to make it easier to get to campus without a car … living on campus hopefully also means that [students] don’t have to bring their cars to campus,” Walsh added.