The new residential building provisionally named Cypress Hall is still on schedule to open fall 2015 despite rain delays that inhibited the completion of the new parking lot on Aster Street, according to Karen Rockett, associate director of facilities for Residential Life.
The foundation, underground utilities and elevator shafts have been completed on the building, said ResLife Director Steven Waller.
Contractors will now begin working on the steel structure in the residential towers and the elevator pits, Rockett said.
The building is in the shape of a letter “E,” Rockett said. The legs of the building will be four-story towers and the base will be a one-floor community area where the classrooms, offices, kitchens and other amenities will be located.
There are plans to make Cypress Hall a residential college by moving Broussard Hall’s Career Discovery Residential College and the Herget Residential College to Cypress Hall, Waller said. The Tiger Bridge Program students would then be moved to Herget from McVoy Hall.
It is still undecided what residential college Broussard Hall would become, Waller said.
After the completion of Cypress Hall, which will house up to 330 students, construction on another residential hall provisionally named Magnolia Hall will begin. Magnolia will be a U-shaped building housing up to 410 students and is scheduled to be finished for the fall 2016 semester, Waller said.
ResLife is also looking at the option of turning Magnolia Hall into a residential college, Waller said. Multiple colleges on campus have expressed interest in housing their students there.
One challenge ResLife is facing is finding ways to increase parking on the west side of campus where the new residential buildings are located.
There is currently enough parking for residents on the west side of campus, but the University is running out of space to add additional parking for commuters, Waller said.
The new parking lot on Aster Street is scheduled to be finished Dec. 13, but the lot will probably not see a lot of use until spring 2014 because parking is typically not a problem during final exam week, Waller said.

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Mariel Gates

The construction of what will be the Cypress residential hall is progressing (Nov. 26, 2013)