An area of campus that used to house students is being renovated to make way for more upperclassmen lodging.
Cross Center, the location of the future dorms, is located at the intersection of Cross Center Drive and 4th Street and includes five office buildings that served as residence halls until the 1970s, said Brian Ellis, director of Facilities Management.
The new housing project will include four buildings with a total of 1,200 beds as well as a parking structure with approximately 1,000 spots, Ellis said.
Construction on the project is set to begin in March after the necessary legal work has been completed and is charted for completion by fall 2018, Ellis said.
The residence halls are being built in response to a marketing study that showed a demand for upperclassmen housing on campus, which is currently not provided for students, Ellis said.
Upperclassmen dorms being built at the corner of Jenkins Avenue and Lindsey Street will open in fall 2017.
“I think it’s going to provide an opportunity for students who want to live close to campus,” Ellis said. “It provides an attractive option for upperclassmen students to live in during their time at OU. Right now that type of housing is being served far away from campus."
Ellis said further details of the housing project are not finalized but will be available in March.
