Belmont University president Bob Fisher revealed the school’s newest residential facility with a view to match at a ribbon cutting ceremony for Dickens Hall Friday.
Named for Marty Dickens, the chairman of the Board of Trustees, the specifically sophomore-only hall will house 290 students and is expected to play a vital role in the continued building of the Sophomore Experience program.
“This is no longer just a building anymore. It’s a community where students for years and years will live and grow into the person they were born to be,” said Larkin Briley, a Resident Assistant in Dickens.
The new residence hall near Bruin Hills is a mix between the standard apartment-style housing and a traditional dorm. Each unit houses either four or five students and has a shared common area, kitchen and bathroom.
Windows that almost go from floor-to-ceiling offer a view of Nashville skyline in several common areas in the apartments.
Underneath the building is a five-level parking garage that will be available for residents in Dickens Hall, Kennedy Hall, Thrailkill Hall, Bruin Hills and Hillside.
A second residential hall in the same hybrid style will be completed in January 2013. Officials expect it to be filled soon after opening.