LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The University of Louisville presented the Belknap Residence Hall to a crowd of students and staff Monday, the first new dorms on campus in 31 years.
"This project reinvigorates the heart of our campus," Campus Housing Director Dr. Tom Hardy said.
The celebration came with a new plaque and ribbon-cutting before tours began.
"This has been a baby or pet project of mind for a long, long time," Hardy said. "And to finally see it come to fruition is just fantastic."
Belknap Residence Hall replaced an outdated dorm built in the 1960s. Students that lived in the old Threlked Hall, since demolished, complained of mold and pest problems.
"A lot of schools, they kind of shut down all construction projects during COVID," Hardy said. "We made a deliberate effort not to do that, because we knew when we were starting to come out of the pandemic we're going to need facilities in order to house our students that were going to be state-of-the-ar. And we finally do have one."
The five-story facility will welcome more than 400 students, mostly freshman, this fall.
Students had a lot of input in the project, pushing for things like gender neutral, private bathrooms.
The dorm rooms have vaulted ceilings and storage, but the hall itself has learning centers, a modern kitchen and a rec room, along with lounges that feature city skyline views.
"It's such a relief," said Grace Beebe, the residence hall association president. "We've been working on this project for a couple years now."
Beebe believes the central locations will also be a big help for freshman getting used to campus and is excited to see it done as an in-person semester is set to begin.
"It's just a relief to be able to start the year in-person, on campus and have everyone be able to dig in and just really embrace the freshman experience," Beebe said. "And for all of us who are older, too, to be able to embrace campus this year is really awesome."
Soon, Belknap won't be the newest residence hall on campus. Another is being built nearby.
"We're very excited to finally provide new opportunities for students," Hardy said.
The upcoming residence hall is expected to be completed in 2022.
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