Regents give UTSA approval to develop Guadalupe Hall

 Rendering of Guadalupe Hall by Alamo Architects

(Feb. 28, 2019) -- The University of Texas System Board of Regents this week approved the schematic design for Guadalupe Hall, a residence hall for undergraduate freshmen, making it part of The University of Texas System’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The Regents’ addition of the project to its CIP allows UTSA to move Guadalupe Hall into the design development phase, another milestone in the advancement of the university’s strategic vision to prepare for enrollment growth of 45,000 students by 2028.

Guadalupe Hall is one in a series of housing developments planned for the Main and Downtown Campuses to enhance student success. 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 those who live off campus. 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.

“What we’re trying to do over the next 10 years is to get as many of our freshmen living on campus as possible, and Guadalupe Hall is our first start at this,” UTSA President Taylor Eighmy said earlier this week in a meeting in Austin with the Board of Regents.

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

Located in the core of UTSA’s residential district on the Main Campus near Laurel Village and Roadrunner Café, Guadalupe Hall will provide a more affordable on-campus living/learning option for freshman students than is currently offered at UTSA. The new 372-bed residence hall will feature double occupancy rooms, with easily accessible restrooms and community spaces located immediately outside the rooms.

Additional amenities in the four-story building will include 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 to foster community.

Construction of Guadalupe Hall will begin in fall 2019. Students are expected to move into the 101,351 gross-square-foot structure in 2021. 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. Honors Residential College, an interactive, vibrant living/learning community for UTSA Honors College students, is also in the planning stages. Additionally, 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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