UNF Breaks Ground on New Honors Residence Hall for Growing Student Body

The University of North Florida commenced construction on a new Honors Residence Hall on February 9, 2024, signaling a significant addition to the campus infrastructure set to be available for students from fall 2025 onwards. UNF President Moez Limayem and Dr. Jeff Chamberlain, UNF Hicks Honors College dean, led the groundbreaking ceremony, attended by City Councilmen Will Lahnen and Raul Arias, alongside other campus and community leaders. The four-story, 164,579-square-foot residence hall will be located on the east side of the campus, adjacent to Osprey Fountains on Osprey Ridge Road.

This new residence hall, the first of its kind since 2009, aims to accommodate the university’s strategic plan of enlarging enrollment to 25,000 students over five years. With the growing interest among students to reside on campus, this expansion project will offer approximately 4,300 beds once completed.

Designed as a living-learning community tailored for honor students, the residence hall will open its application process to all students starting in spring 2025. The facility, focused on fostering academic and social connections, will provide standard amenities such as study areas, lounges, and central kitchenettes on each floor, with unique features like inter-floor pathways for enhanced communication among residents.

Outdoor amenities will include sports courts, green spaces, and a boardwalk connector to the campus center. The project, initiated prior to the pandemic and updated in spring 2023, aligns with the university’s growth trajectory and fulfills the identified need for additional student housing.

Ajax Building Company will oversee construction, with plans for a second phase including an academic center adjacent to the residence hall. Dr. Chamberlain emphasized the benefits of living-learning communities in promoting academic and social support systems, especially for upperclassmen mentoring incoming students.

Besides the Honors Residence Hall, UNF has ongoing development projects such as the renovation of the Coggin College of Business and Brooks College of Health, slated for completion by 2025.