Belmont University is under construction once again, and its newest residence hall will open in fall 2025.
This building, called Caldwell II until an official name is finalized, will house about 730 students in either 4-person suite-style rooms or 4-bedroom, 2-bathroom apartments.
“This was a project that was actually in work before the student housing crisis happened last summer and spring,” said Dr. Anthony Donovan, the Associate Dean of Students for Community Living & Housing.
While the construction impacts students' current everyday lives, it will eventually offer the Belmont community a useful variety of amenities unique to the new hall.
Blasting began in mid-August and lasted for around three months.
Beyond the scheduled blasting times, construction involves other changes like disrupted walkways and a narrowed stretch of 15th Avenue South.
The walkway between Russell Hall and the construction site that stretches down towards the Thrailkill Garage is now closed.
“That pathway takes students too near to the construction site and it’s in order to keep them safe,” Donovan said. “So, it will be there until the project gets done.”
Junior Matt Farnsworth said that the construction doesn’t inconvenience him as much as it did to those who previously lived on that land.
He said that there were many days when he would walk up and down 15th Avenue South and wave to a Belmont neighbor who used to live on the property where the new residence hall is being built.
“The noise that they kind of replaced that nice wave with is just not really what I was hoping for,” said Farnsworth.
To honor this neighbor, a Florida room will be featured in the residence hall and will overlook a courtyard and garden that is named in her honor.
“The homeowner was a longtime resident and really enjoyed being in the midst of the students on campus as she watched from her front porch and her family lived on the property for a long time and we thought it might be a fitting way to honor them with a student courtyard,” said Donovan.
Other building features will include lounges on each floor.
Donovan will be working in partnership with the FitRec to create a 3,100-square-foot esports suite.
“It’s going to be a great space. It’s going to allow us to have even some potential competition in the space. It will also have some console gaming,” said Donovan.
It will also have a classroom and multipurpose room along with nap pod rooms.
The new residence hall located on Caldwell Avenue will also offer dining and retail options for students.
“There is going to be a dedicated food facility there that will feature grab and go. The final details of what that will look like haven’t been done yet,” said Donovan.
He added that there will also be a possibility for two other retail spaces in the building.
Donovan said that he hopes the new dorm will allow for more students to be housed on Belmont’s campus.
“We’re really fortunate - we have lots of really great housing. We probably need some more of that smaller and a little bit less expensive price point that a suite might be,” Donovan said. “So having that for incoming freshman or potentially upperclassmen is probably the right answer to help making sure that as many people can find housing that they can afford.”
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This article was written by Elisabeth Gage