U of L plans to complete new dorm to house student-athletes in 2022

By Madelin Shelton —

The University of Louisville has approved plans to build a new residency hall across Floyd Street from the Planet Fitness Kueber Center, an athletic training facility utilized by U of L student-athletes. The residency hall is expected to be completed by the start of the fall 2022 semester and will be available to both student-athletes and other U of L students.

The project, aptly named the Southeast Corridor Residential Hall project, is a partnership between U of L Campus Housing, U of L Athletics and a third-party developer consisting of Buffalo Construction and Larry Gough, who developed Cardinal Towne. The groundbreaking of the construction is expected to start in March of 2021 according to Vince Tyra, Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics and Director of Athletics.

The property is currently being used for university parking.

The facility will comprise of 128 beds, of which no more than 50% will be occupied by student-athletes to meet NCAA guidelines. U of L Athletics will claim 63 beds for student-athletes and 10 beds for team managers and graduate assistants.

The project will cost an estimated $23.5 million, with $3.5 million coming from U of L Athletics through donor funds. U of L Athletics will retain the naming rights to the facility in exchange for their contribution. U of L Campus Housing will manage the facility and include a full-time live-in hall director and three resident assistants.

Members of the men’s and women’s basketball teams and the women’s lacrosse team will reside in the residency hall. The building will also house a Living Learning Community (LLC) comprised of sophomore and above Sports Administration majors.

U of L Athletics expects the residential hall to help their department with the recruitment and retention of top-level students and student-athletes. It will include an enclosed crosswalk over Floyd Street that will link the residence hall to the Kueber Center and will serve as a beautification effort for the Floyd Street area of campus.

“This will obviously be a first-class project, the renderings represent that. It’s really going to help in the recruitment of our Sports Administration program which is one of our fastest growing programs and is ranked number one in the country,” Tyra said.

Below are concept designs of the building once it is completed: