MOSCOW, Idaho — Incoming University of Idaho students have a big treat to look forward to with the new and updated campus housing options.
In February, the university earned R-1 research status, the highest research status available to universities. Five years in the making, the new status will open the door for more research opportunities and attract more graduate students to campus.
U of I also saw record spring enrollment and broke ground on a $162 million housing project to accommodate the school’s growth.
Welcome news on campus, where many of the housing options are in major need of renovation.
As part of the multi-million dollar project, The Vandals tore down their on-campus graduate apartments that have been in place since the 1960s; making way for new standard apartments and townhomes for graduate students who have families.
“Those townhouses are going to be between one and four bedrooms, so it will be able to accommodate students with families, regardless of the size of their families, they’ll be able to be in those spaces and live there comfortably right in the heart of campus,” said Erik Elordi, Executive Director of Campus Services.
On the undergraduate side, big changes are planned for Wallace Dorms and the famous Theophilus Tower.
“They’re going to have air conditioning in their rooms, fully remodeled bathrooms, new furniture, new flooring, new everything in their rooms,” Elordi said.
Crews are in the first phase of construction. Only three floors will be fully renovated by the time students arrive for the fall semester.
The entire project is slated to be complete by fall of 2027.
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