BOCA RATON, Fla. — Hundreds of students were living off-campus in a hotel at Florida Atlantic University last school year because of over-capacity on campus. But this year, the school is hoping to alleviate those problems.
A seven-story building replaced a two-story resident hall which allows hundreds of more students to live on campus
Catherine Kellman on Friday gave WPTV a first look at the new resident hall called Atlantic Park Towers.
The new building is designed to help the campus with a problem that started in 2018, which is not enough room for students to live on campus.
"This year we will have no students living out of a hotel," Kellman said.
Just over 600 students will move in next week, compared to the 191 students who used to live in Algonquin.
"We have come really from our oldest to our newest," Kellman said.
Kellman said FAU did their best to listen to what students wanted. Most of the units have single rooms for more privacy.
"That was one big request we had from all of our students is space to store things," Kellman said.
And more places to study. Each floor has study pods and a new space on the first floor
"They wanted a space in the building that was allowed for commuters to come," Kellman said.
The campus is maxed out at nearly 5,000 students this fall. Future plans include rebuilding the university village apartments, adding hundreds of more beds. The process for this rebuild is being decided right now.
Kellman said they will reevaluate what students will want in that new building
"Their needs are different, what they are seeking out and living on campus is different," Kellman said.
Students move back to campus next Tuesday.