Bids for the renovation of the Kirby Smith Residential Hall floors eight through 11 opened Tuesday with hopes of student availability by next fall.
Director of Residential Life Steven Waller said the construction will include ripping out the furniture and renovating the bathrooms — the same renovations done to the bottom floors before the reopening of the hall in the fall of 2011.
Associate Director for ResLife Jay High said last year, there were 300 students on standby for dorms, and the new renovations will open up about 240 beds, alleviating some of the backup.
High said Kirby Smith often fills up quickly because many students enjoy the suite baths as well as its close location to The 5 dining hall and the core of campus.
Waller said he expects the project to cost about $400,000, all of which will come from student rents.
These new renovations will only be used by students for a few years.
High said there are plans in the works for a new residential hall that will stand where the Hart Lot is currently located. The new hall has not yet been named and will replace Kirby Smith, housing approximately 330 students.
Kirby Smith will then become yearlong conference housing. This conference housing will be used for different groups or speakers visiting the campus who need a place to stay. High said this may include business leaders, high school football and cheerleading teams or Future Farmers of America.
High said he believes this newly available housing will increase visitors to the University.
Construction on the new hall is set to begin in June and is expected to open for fall of 2015, Waller said.
The new residential hall will also aim to earn a LEED certification, he said, which reflects the utilization of sustainable energy features.
The hall would be the first LEED-certified building on campus, and some sustainable features the building may include are solar panels and rainwater recapturing, High said.
“The certification could help the building see a significant reduction in utilities and hopefully create awareness on energy usage. It is important to raise awareness,” Waller said.
While the University has already begun attempting to go green in other areas, the new certification will show that the University has an interest in environmental sustainability, High said.
“The certification could help the building see a significant reduction in utilities and hopefully create awareness on energy usage.”