The LSU Board of Supervisors approved a project that will construct new South Quad dorms that will house over 1,200 more students and cost around $215 million on Friday.
The dorm will be built near the business school in the commuter parking lot on South Quad Drive known as Touchdown Village East Lot.
Construction on the project will start in October, and it’s expected to be open by fall 2027, according to documents provided to the Board.
Enrollment growth on LSU hasn’t slowed, despite widespread student frustration with the lack of parking and housing.
This fall’s freshman enrollment of approximately 8,000 will set another record (the eighth straight year it has done so), Interim President Matt Lee said Friday. In 2024, LSU welcomed 7,912 new freshmen.
“Frankly, it’s a good problem to have, because other institutions around the country and some around the state are faltering,” Lee told the Reveille. “There are some challenges that come with that. I’d be disingenuous if I didn’t say that.”
In the past, freshman growth has caused a housing and parking crunch that has forced the university to place some students in off-campus hotels and apartment complexes, which documents said will likely need to happen again this upcoming fall. The new dorm will alleviate that to some extent.
The new building will displace 697 parking spaces, while converting another 515 to on-campus residential parking, according to the proposal submitted to the Board. As a result, about 350 new commuter spots will be added in the Old Front Nine lot down the road.
The new parking will also displace some space for RV tailgating during football game days.
Also part of the project is the construction of a new Park & Geaux Mobility Hub that expands upon LSU’s Park & Geaux project, which allows students to park in the lots near Tiger Park and shuttle to the main campus.
The Mobility Hub will be an air-conditioned building with restrooms and WiFi for students to wait for buses to take them to campus.
RISE: A Real Estate Company will lead construction on the project and will work with several subcontractors. The company also constructed LSU’s most recent housing projects, the Nicholson Apartments, Cedar Hall, Spruce Hall and LSU’s Greenhouse District dorms (Azalea and Camellia).
The Board authorized a total budget of about $215 million to be used toward the project.
