Saile Aranda
Photo Editor
With a cost of $32.4 million, Texas A&M University-San Antonio will welcome the new, highly anticipated residence hall in the summer of 2024.
Sam Boykin, senior communications manager, provided information about the upcoming building. Adjacent to Esperanza Hall, the 96,100-square-foot student dormitory will be a four-story building with 364 beds.
A&M-San Antonio’s new student housing development is situated on a 2.7-acre site and will provide additional housing as the student body continues to grow.
Boykin said the building will have mail, administration and reception functions on the first floor and amenities including a lounge, laundry and trash facilities on each floor.
Bartlett Cocke is the contractor building the student housing.
Boykin said 405 students live in Esperanza Hall, taking up all of its capacity.
Former and current dorm residents shared their opinions on the new student housing.
Kaylee Delgado, an English junior, at A&M-San Antonio, previously lived in Esperanza Hall.
“It’s no secret Esperanza Hall is overflowing; some students live at the hotels. When I was a resident two years ago, the overflow was astronomical,” Delgado wrote in an Instagram message to The Mesquite. “During the year, I experienced so many crowded elevator rides because a lot of residents have class at the same time.”
Boykin said about three students are still living at the hotels after the university moved a majority of them to Esperanza Hall as vacancies were available. He said the university anticipates that all residents will be moved from the hotel to Esperanza Hall by the winter break.
Arely Rocha, a current resident at Esperanza Hall, wrote in an Instagram message to The Mesquite, that the new dorm building is much needed.
“I think that it was a necessary building,” Rocha wrote. “There was an overflow of how many new students needed a dorm and Esperanza Hall was not enough to house everyone,”
Meliza Elizondo, a biology sophomore, wrote in an Instagram message to The Mesquite, she has her eye on moving into the new dorms. Students are excited to see the final result of the building.
“I would be interested in moving into the new dorm, and my roommate is interested as well; we’ve talked about it before. I think it would be cool because everything would be brand new.” Elizondo said.
Delgado expressed pride in seeing A&M-San Antonio grow as a campus with 364 new beds waiting to be occupied by incoming students.
“I think it’s really great TAMUSA is investing in a new residence hall,” Delgado wrote. “TAMUSA is growing bigger and bigger which is a great thing, but having dorms for new incoming freshmen is a priority.”
