UTSA builds team to construct new residence hall

(April 29, 2019) -- UTSA has assembled the team to bring more on-campus living to its Main Campus. Alamo Architects, in partnership with Treanor HL, has been selected to lead the design of Guadalupe Hall, UTSA’s new residence hall for freshmen. Additionally, Intelligent Engineering Services, Shah Smith and Pape-Dawson will serve as engineers for the project and Whiting-Turner as the Construction Manager at-Risk.

Guadalupe Hall is the first in a series of new housing developments planned for the Main and Downtown Campuses as UTSA prepares for enrollment growth of 45,000 by 2028. In February, the University of Texas System approved the schematic design for Guadalupe Hall, making it a part of the UT System’s Capital Improvement Program. The project is currently in the design phase and is expected to obtain design development approval from the UT System Board of Regents in May 2019.

>> Read about UTSA’s housing initiatives to enhance student success.

“Student success is at the heart of everything we do at UTSA,” said Veronica Mendez, UTSA vice president for business affairs. “Our data shows that on-campus housing is an important factor in helping students succeed, particularly freshmen and first-generation college students. Guadalupe Hall will place our freshman in an environment where they can thrive – closer to classes, laboratories, libraries, faculty members and advisors, and our robust academic and support programs.”

According to the UTSA Office of Institutional Research, UTSA first-generation freshmen who live on campus have a retention rate of 83 percent, compared to 72 percent for first-generation students who live off campus. Also, among UTSA freshman who are at-risk, those who live on campus have a retention rate of 74 percent compared to 63 percent for the same group who live off campus.

At the southwest corner of Brenan Ave. and Tobin Ave. in the heart of UTSA’s residential district on the Main Campus, Guadalupe Hall will be in a prime location near Roadrunner Café and close to many other campus amenities geared toward student success.

Guadalupe Hall will be designed to enhance the campus experience. The 372-bed residence hall will feature affordable double occupancy rooms, with easily accessible restrooms and community spaces located immediately outside the rooms. The four-story building will feature study lounges, an academic resource center, community lounges, community kitchens, laundry rooms, group study areas, a multipurpose/seminar room and a coffee shop. A mini-Sombrilla will provide an outdoor gathering space with benches, chairs and BBQ grills to foster community.

Construction of Guadalupe Hall is slated to begin in fall 2019 with students expected to move into the 101,351 gross-square-foot structure before the fall 2021 semester. With a projected cost of $43.6 million, $38.6 million will come from the Revenue Financing System. The remaining funds will come from UTSA reserves.

This is just the beginning of a new housing and retail development boom at UTSA. The Honors Residential College, an interactive, vibrant living/learning community for UTSA Honors College students, is also in the planning stages. Plans for a new mixed-use neighborhood called Roadrunner Village will include housing for faculty, staff and upper-class students. UTSA is also making plans for Cattleman’s Square Residential Tower, a high rise housing option to serve the Downtown Campus community.

— Courtney Clevenger

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