UConn selects preferred developer, approves $750K for student housing project at Avery Point campus
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UConn's Avery Point campus.
UConn plans to build student housing at its Avery Point campus in Groton, which has about 450 full-time students but currently lacks a residential component.
Following an RFP process, UConn has selected a preferred developer to build the facility, which would include a 250-bed dorm, a 125-seat dining hall and a recreation field.
The new facility would total 83,400 square feet and be located on a 1.1-acre property near the center of campus.
The developer, which was not named, will design, construct
and develop the project on a “turn-key basis” under a development agreement with UConn. The university will be responsible for providing financing and long-term operation of the facility.
On Wednesday, UConn’s Board of Trustees approved $750,000 to advance the project. It will be used to prepare the cost, scope and feasibility of the development.
A university spokesperson said the proposal is at “an early stage of due diligence to assess site conditions and other factors that could influence the cost, scope and feasibility of the proposal.”
The project is part of an effort to improve UConn's Avery Point campus, including offering one of the school's most popular majors – a bachelor's degree in psychological sciences – there starting this fall, according to UConn.
The facility would be "substantially complete” by July 2028, or sooner, UConn said.
Also, UConn said the building will have a LEED green building certification.
Project supporters say adding student housing at Avery Point is “critical to meeting the goals of the UConn Strategic Plan, which includes a commitment to build on the unique attributes of each regional location to make them destination campuses,” the university said.
The local rental market is limited and expensive, often forcing students to commute long distances, according to UConn. Also, studies show that students are more successful when they have strong social networks in college, which living in a residence hall can help facilitate.
UConn’s Avery Point campus sits on 82 acres on Long Island Sound.
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