The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents on Feb. 17 approved construction of new dorms at Texas A&M University-San Antonio, and should be completed by fall 2024.
According to a Feb. 17 press release, the board approved $32.5 million for residential housing.
Kathy Funk-Baxter, vice president for business affairs, said the university is happy to embark on the new project.
“The university is very excited and happy to begin the project to add over 300 new beds, residential beds, to the campus,” Funk-Baxter said in an interview Feb. 25.
The dorms will be located next to Esperanza Hall, adjacent to Jaguar Parkway.
The current plan is to have 78 units housing four students, 14 two-person suites and two staff apartments in the new dorms, Funk-Baxter said.
Funk-Baxter said there will be at least 312 additional beds. However the number may vary depending on construction prices.
“Together, both phase one and phase two of our housing will be able to house almost 750 students,” Funk-Baxter said.
Phase two of student housing has been in talks since December 2020, according to Funk-Baxter.
Esperanza Hall is designed to house 386 students, though it has accommodated over 400 students due to a high demand of students registering to live in the dorms.
In fall 2021, Esperanza Hall was housing over capacity. As a result, the university had to find alternative accommodations for students, providing housing in hotels.
The first time Esperanza Hall was completely full was fall 2019. University President Cynthia Teniente-Matson said in a Feb. 4 interview the university was planning to build another housing facility if it sustained enrollment in Esperanza Hall for another year.
In fall 2020, student housing enrollment dropped due to the pandemic, delaying plans to build new dorms, Matson said.
“We knew that it (high interest to live on campus) would come,” Matson said. “We’re seeing these exhilarating impacts due to the pandemic.”
Funk-Baxter said she anticipates breaking ground prior to summer 2023. The new dorms are expected to be ready for students to move in during fall 2024.
As the demand for student housing is projected to continue to grow, Funk-Baxter said she expects the new dorms to be full on day one of the fall 2024 semester.
Funk-Baxter said the approval from the Board of Regents came at “a perfect time” as the university continues growing and attracting students who don’t live in the San Antonio area.
“Also for our students in the San Antonio region that live in a greater-than-50 mile radius, most of those have indicated that they desire residential housing on campus,” Funk-Baxter said.
