Massachusetts College of Art and Design plans to build a 21-story residence hall on Boston’s Huntington Avenue. The $61 million building will add 145,000 square feet of dormitory and facility space to the campus.
Construction of the new residence hall is funded entirely by tax-exempt revenue bonds issued through the Massachusetts State College Building Authority (MSCBA), which funds construction of student activity facilities at the state’s nine public colleges.
On Dec. 8, the MSCBA sold the bonds necessary to fund the project at a blended rate of 4.26 percent, a rate significantly below what had been anticipated, according to a statement.
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) has signed a long-term lease with MassArt in order to house a portion of its students in the new facility. The two colleges also are collaborating on renovation to MassArt’s campus center, scheduled to be completed for fall 2010, which includes a shared bookstore and dining services.
The new residence hall will include a health center serving students of MassArt, MCPHS, and Wentworth Institute of Technology. Wentworth and MCPHS will contribute to construction and operating costs.
All first- and second-year students at MassArt will be housed in the 493-bed residence hall. Upon completion, it will allow the college to house 38 percent of the student body on campus. Currently, it provides on-campus housing to 22 percent of students.
The new residence hall will also feature a sustainable design strategy to achieve LEED Silver certification, reinforcing MassArt’s commitment to leadership in "green" building and development, according to a statement.
"The development of this residence hall demonstrates what can be accomplished when colleges work together," said Kay Sloan, president of MassArt. "By partnering with MCPHS and Wentworth, we will provide students of all three institutions with a range of services none of us could provide alone. Particularly in this down economy, it is a win-win for all of us."
The residence hall is designed by ADD Inc. Suffolk Construction is the general contractor. Construction of the new facility is scheduled to begin in June.
