SIU-Carbondale and the SIU Foundation are partnering on a multi-million dollar project to transform student housing on campus.
It will be named Saluki Village and be located along the area formerly known as Greek Row, across from the Simmons Law School.
At Thursday's Board of Trustees meeting, Foundation CEO Matt Kupec presented the proposal and said it's part of the University's goals to modernize campus infrastructure, improve student recruitment and retention and bring more students back to campus.
"The concept is about 898 new beds, a community building and 4-5 houses for special interest housing."
In materials prepared for the Board, the community building is described as a central hub for student engagement, gathering space and additional food options.
The four to five special interest houses are intended to be living-learning communities to enhance academic and social connections, especially for fraternities and sororities.
Kupec said this project will begin with the demolition of the 13 houses along the old Greek Row.
"These are abandoned, boarded up buildings. We have an opportunity to take these down and replace them with a brand new, whole new living environment."
Taking down the buildings on Old Greek Row will start right away. Phase one of the project will involve building new student housing in Saluki Village. Once that is completed, the Neely Residence Hall will be taken offline. In addition to the 898 beds for Saluki Village, the plan also includes 48 more beds in four buildings for Greek Life.
Kupec said the SIU Foundation will act as an intermediary between SIU-Carbondale and private developers. This will include providing a bridge loan to pay for environmental studies, demolition and early construction activities. The loan is to be repaid with the funds generated from the issuing of revenue bonds.
Currently, student housing capacity on campus is just under 3,600 and at 82 percent capacity.
This new housing plan would increase the capacity to just over 3,900 with the goal of 88 percent capacity once the University implements a policy of requiring freshmen and sophomores to live on the Carbondale campus.
The most recent new student housing at SIU-Carbondale was the Wall & Grand Apartments, with Building I opening in 2006 and Buildings II and III in 2007. The University records show prior to that, the last new construction on campus was the Evergreen Terrace family housing complex in 1968.
Kupec said the plan is to bring more detailed plans about Saluki Village before the Board of Trustees in September.
