Morris, Minn. — The University Board of Regents unanimously approved the construction designs for additions to Middlebrook and Frontier residence halls on Thursday.
The additions will provide an increase of 300 beds, 148 in Frontier Hall and 172 in Middlebrook Hall. Middlebrook now houses 734 students; Frontier houses 577.
Middlebrook’s extension includes 42 four-person suites, one two-person suite and an apartment, as well as a cyber cafe, convenience store and campus police substation.
Frontier Hall will have new sprinkler and air conditioning systems.
The residence hall additions are in response to the University’s commitment to guarantee rooms to all incoming freshmen who apply by May 1, said Vice President Eric Kruse. The additions are also an attempt to combat the low vacancy rate in the University area and the growing demand for on-campus housing.
More than 300 students are now housed in converted lounges, lofts and the Days Inn Hotel on University Avenue.
Construction costs for both projects are less than the amount allocated; however, some regents expressed concerns about the price of the residential halls.
Construction for Middlebrook Hall is projected at $9 million, $3 million less than originally planned. Frontier Hall is projected at $500,000 less than the $8.5 million price tag.
“Higher the costs, greater the fees,” said Regent Robert Bergland. “There’s no way around this.”
While Bergland acknowledged that students needed the extra beds, he said the continuing use of University debt to pay for construction cost might hurt the school.
“If we get to the point that the debt load is greater than we can afford, we are going to start to pay a penalty in interests costs,” Bergland said. The University has more than $537 million in outstanding debt, according to regents’ documents.
“I’m very interested in what we’re going to charge students,” Bergland added. “We have got to keep it affordable.”
Student representatives to the regents said they were concerned about disturbing students who live in the residential halls because construction will be done during the school year. The projects will begin in late September and are expected to be completed by next August.
“We definitely need those beds, but students also need their privacy, their opportunity to study and to relax,” said Student Representative Kristen Berning, who urges students to contact her with any complaints.
Lee Sepping of Witcher Construction and SMA Architects, which is doing the construction of Frontier Hall, said he will keep students up to date on the construction with newsletters and will attempt to minimize noise disruptions.
Starting in late September, construction for both halls will begin at 7:30 a.m. and will be done on the weekends only when necessary. Construction will not be done during finals week.