Carleton’s Board of Governors has approved plans for a new 500-bed residence building, adding to the 3,600 that are currently on campus.
Carleton’s president Roseann Runte said there has been a considerable demand for additional residence space.
“The university guarantees space to first-year students who apply before a certain deadline. This means that there are more first-year students than upper-year students on campus,” she said in an email.
The new building will therefore be aimed at upper-year students.
“There is a number of upper-year students that would like to stay on campus, but remain on the waiting list because of the first-year guarantee. This is a demand we are trying to match,” said Darryl Boyce, vice-president (facilities management and planning).
The project will cost $52 million and will be funded by the university.
“It will include some group study rooms, a fitness area, laundry rooms on each level, and a small place where the occupants can watch movies. It will not be an actual movie theatre, but a room with a bigger TV screen,” Boyce said.
A coffee shop will also be operating on the ground floor of the building, he said.
The structure will be similar to what the university hoped to accomplish with the private residence.
They will be “apartment style, same number of beds and full kitchens,” he said.
The residence will also be the first 12-month lease residence building on campus.
“The students are encouraged to stay all year and make Carleton their home away from home. This has proven successful in other universities,” Runte said.
“We would like to serve all students and create a strong residence community where more students can remain on campus for more than one year,” she added. “It will be very convenient and offer more features than many apartments in the city.”
Jade Philippe, a first-year engineering student, said she would like to live off-campus next year, but she would move to a 12-month lease residence if the price was comparable to living off campus.
“Living on campus is more convenient. I think having an apartment style residence is better than a traditional room,” she said.
The new building will be located north of the Leeds residence on the corner of parking lot six. Boyce said the tunnel system will be extended.
“We are into detail design now. It will take about two years to build it, so we expect to start putting furniture in by June 2017, and have students move in there in September of that year,” Boyce said.
Carleton’s last residence, Lennox and Addington, was built three years ago.
A new Health Sciences building was also announced at the same Board of Governors meeting as the new residence.
The building is still in the planning stages, but is expected to be about 100,000 square feet and be located in front of the Steacie Building.
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