Housing opportunities for UA students have exploded over the last decade. The planned North Bluff Residential community continues the rapid on-campus residential expansion.
North Bluff, which will be located near the intersection of Hackberry Lane and Jack Warner Parkway, will be a seven-story complex featuring a student courtyard and surface parking, opposed to the underneath parking deck featured in Ridgecrest South.
The project is scheduled for completion in 2012.
Alicia Browne, associate director for information and communication for Housing and Residential Communities, said rooms will be similar to Ridgecrest in layout to play to incoming students’ preferences.
“It will be a suite-style facility, continuing to meet students’ desires for more privacy within their living options.”
North Bluff’s construction will cost an estimated $66 million and was approved unanimously by the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees at the same meeting that resulted in the approval of the tuition hike.
North Bluff’s construction costs are only slightly higher than the nearly $62 million spent on the construction of Ridgecrest South.
Upon its completion, the University of Alabama’s on-campus housing space will increase to 8,900, nearly doubling its capacity of just 4,500 in 2000.
The last decade has seen the construction of Riverside Residential Community in 2005, Bryant Residence Hall and Lakeside Residential Community in 2006, followed by the construction of Ridgecrest East and West in 2007.
Almost doubling Alabama’s housing capacity has come at a high cost with the University investing more than $240 million over the last ten years.
By stark contrast to the last several years, the 1990s only saw two residential properties added to the campus complex, with the Highlands being completed in 1990 and Bryce Lawn in 1995. Those two residences combined to add 450 beds to the University’s on-campus housing capacity.
Blount-Living Learning Center began construction in 1999 but was not completed until 2000.
Browne said only since 2005 has dorm construction been a direct response to the growth in student population, particularly the freshman class.
Additionally, Browne said she believes HRC continually changes the residential opportunities offered to students because of demand. But assisting incoming freshman is always a priority.
“We manage demand for housing, especially from freshmen, by closely monitoring how many returning students are allowed to apply for housing and whether we allow incoming transfer students to apply for housing.
“Because of our freshman residency program, we have a special commitment to incoming freshmen and work very hard to meet their housing needs.”
Browne also said HRC added new positions to assist those who will not be eligible for on-campus housing.
The Assistant Director for Off-campus Housing organized off-campus housing fairs, has an off-campus housing website and holds educational programs about off-campus housing opportunities.
“Because we have not always been able to allow transfer students to apply for housing, we added a new staff position in our office a couple of years ago to assist students in making educated decisions about off-campus housing,” Browne said.
“This addition has been important to helping students who want to move off campus or those who can’t be accommodated within our residence halls”
