A $162 million bond for the construction of new housing units on the University of Idaho’s South Hill and the renovation of the current housing amenities in the Wallace Residence Center, Theophilus Tower and Elmwood Apartments was approved by the Idaho State Board of Education on Nov. 21.
The new South Hill housing is set to be finished by August 2026, with renovations of Theophilus Tower and the Wallace Residence Center to be completed between August 2025 and August 2027, respectively.
In the presentation given to the State Board on Nov. 21, Brian Foisy, UI’s Vice President for the Division of Finance and Administration, stated that, “UI needs additional student housing to accommodate enrollment growth and address deferred maintenance needs.”
What’s to be expected of this new construction is the availability of 251 single beds and 150 married/parent beds. However, South Hill currently has 431 beds, so 30 beds will be lost. UI is currently in the process of demolishing the old South Hill apartments.
Jodi Walker, UI’s Senior Director of Communications, explained that the improvements will allow for a higher quality of living.
“The married/parenting housing and graduate housing project is intended to improve the housing and meet the expectations of today’s students,” Walker told the Argonaut. “While it is a net loss in beds, it is a huge step forward in the quality of the housing and the amenities; thus, it is more attractive for graduate students and families.”
The renovation of the preexisting housing is attributed to a high percentage of students having deemed the living conditions less than desirable.
“Nearly 75% of students reported that living on campus had a positive or very positive impact on their overall UI experience; however, 40% of residents in Theophilus and Wallace rated their living conditions as less than satisfactory,” Richard Rieth, a Principal at Reith Jones Advisors (RJA) who is involved in the project, said.
In the meeting, a State Board member asked what will happen to on-campus students while these renovations are in effect. Cami McClure, UI’s Assistant Vice President of Auxiliary Services, answered first.
She explained that the live-on requirement for freshmen will remain in place and that, while there will not be as much room to house upperclassmen on campus due to this, there are other options off-campus that the university can help students with.
Erik Elordi, UI’s Executive Director of Campus Services, also mentioned the role the North Campus Communities will play in this process.
“Throughout the phasing of the construction in Wallace specifically, we will have about 200 beds per year that come offline,” Elordi said. “We have 200 spaces that are available at North Campus Communities, and so the spaces that come offline for the next two academic years will be able to be backfilled through the NCC to help ensure that as many students who want to stay on campus can during these renovations.”
Regarding the new housing that’s to be built on the South Hill, students to be impacted by the future construction were previously notified. Those living there at the time were notified last spring that no contracts would be renewed, as the plan for the new buildings began.
Paige Wilton can be reached at [email protected].