New $70 Million Residence Hall Breaks Ground on the UM Campus
Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - Along with University of Montana officials like President Seth Bodnar and Director of Housing John Nugent, the featured guests for the groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday morning of what will be the largest residence hall on campus were dozens of RA’s (Resident Advisors) who Bodnar pointed out in his opening remarks.
“Today is the kickoff of a very, very exciting part of this major infrastructure refresh with the groundbreaking for the first new residence hall on our campus in over 30 years,” began Bodnar.
Groundbreaking for UM's First New Residence Hall for over 30 Years
He provided more details on the nearly three-year building project next to Panzer Hall.
“We are going to break ground today on a new 600-bed residence hall that it's going to allow us to meet that demand, as well as provide flexibility to make better informed long-term decisions about how to best utilize our housing supply here on campus, which of course, affects not just our students, but affects the entire Missoula community,” he said.
The New 600 Bed Residence Hall will be like None Other on Campus
Nugent, twin brother of Missoula City Councilor Mike Nugent, praised the design of the new unnamed residence hall.
“It's going to be a wonderful new residence hall like none we've seen on this campus, and it really marks the continuation and a gigantic leap forward on the transformation of the residential experience that we've been seeking to undertake over the last several years,” said Nugent. “We really want to modernize some of our buildings, create new opportunities, and just make the residential experience where students spend so much of their time outside of class and some of their other extracurricular activities a really impactful one, and one that's responsive to what they're interested in and what they're looking for.”
Nugent provided some tantalizing details of what the new residence hall will offer UM students.
Actual Excavation and Construction will Begin This Week
“There will be a modernized residential service experience with automated package lockers, an automated mail system, smart lounges, a community kitchen like none we've seen, and just a lot of different amenities that really are seeking to help serve students in many different ways.”
Actual construction is set to begin this week with the excavation of the building’s footprint.
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The parking lot adjacent to Panzer Hall will disappear, however, several new parking areas have already been completed on the other side of the campus.
UM spokesman Dave Kuntz said students are expected to move into the new residence hall in the fall of 2027.