The Florida Board of Governors (FBOG) approved Florida A&M University’s (FAMU) proposal to build a 700-bed on-campus residence to expand housing options for freshmen and scholarship students.
During its fall meeting at the University of Central Florida campus in Orlando on Thursday, November 9, FBOG unanimously approved the plan for FAMU to seek $102.9 million from the U.S Department of Education’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Capital Financing Program to build the new student residence hall just north of the FAMU Towers. FAMU used the same program to finance construction of the FAMU Towers, which were completed in 2020. The new facility, comprised of 350-double occupancy bedrooms, is expected to be completed by August 2025. It will serve underclassmen who are required or want to live on campus. The project is the first of several residence halls included in the University’s master plan that calls for up to 4,000 on-campus beds in the coming years.
“We thank the Board of Governors for their strong support of our initiative to provide modern on campus housing for our students,” said President Larry Robinson, Ph.D., who attended the two-day BOG meeting in Orlando. “I must also thank our internal team led by Vice-Presidents Rebecca Brown and William Hudson, along with BOG staff, who have worked together on the plan for several months. This residential hall will help meet student demand and contribute greatly to student success.”
The project will expand FAMU’s 2,679 on-campus beds by 26 percent. Central Florida-based Finfrock served as the construction manager for the FAMU Towers and will serve in a similar role on this project. The Office of Facilities, Planning, Construction, and Safety will administer the project.
Kendall D. Jones, associate vice president Facilities, Planning, Construction, and Safety, said the University is working with the U.S Department of Education’s HBCU Capital Financing Program team through the financing application and approval process.
“The project team will continue working with the design professionals and the construction manager to complete the design and construction documents, and finalize the Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) and construction schedule,” Jones said. “The University anticipates breaking ground no later than March 2024 and completing the 700-bed residential hall by the start of the 2025 fall semester.”
