UD announces $11.2 million project to build student apartments

The University of Dayton announced it will start construction in May on an $11.2 million student residence.

The building will be a four-story “townhouse-style” apartment building in UD’s south student neighborhood on Lowes Street. The building will add 96 apartments that can house four students each, according to the university.

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Each apartment will have two bedrooms, brand-new appliances, including washers and dryers, solid surface counter tops and ceramic tile, according to UD.

The new building will be ready in August 2018 for students for the fall semester, said Beth Keyes, vice president for facilities and campus operations. Construction will start in May when the center, a former Dayton public school purchased in 1984, is torn down.

The structure will be similar in design to the Caldwell Street apartments, with apartments for students on three floors. The structure will also have ground-floor areas for the student services, meetings and worship space, according to UD.

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“Student demand for University-owned housing continues to increase due to the high-quality amenities, safety features and service responsiveness we provide,” Keyes said. “Our goal is to provide University-owned housing for all undergraduates.”

The project was approved last year but construction was deferred as a fiscal control measure. Ferguson Construction has been awarded the project contract, according to UD.

The school being torn down had since been transformed into a multi-purpose center with a gift from Marie-Louise McGinnis, an honorary trustee of the University, in memory of her husband Edward.

While construction is underway, offices will be temporarily housed at Lawnview Apartments and Sunday night Mass will be celebrated in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception until the new building is ready according to the university.

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During the last decade, more than $150 million has been invested in new construction and renovations for more than 439 residential houses, duplexes, apartment buildings and residence hall, according to UD. Three new five-person houses are currently under construction, with three more set to be constructed this summer.

First- and second-year students are required to live in University housing and there is a high demand from upperclassmen for housing in the University’s student neighborhoods. Roughly 90 percent of undergraduates live on campus in housing ranging from traditional residence halls and apartments to lofts and single-family homes with porches, according to UD.

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