Plans for a 750-bed dorm on North Campus were dealt a blow Friday when university system officials said its funding hinged on private development in the city.
The Board of Regents, which governs the University System of Maryland, issued a statement saying the university must submit a report in September showing plans for new housing in the city of College Park have progressed. The university must also continue to increase its savings at its current rate.
Developers building student housing in the city must “maintain a high level of commitment, have made progress sufficient to judge the projects as highly viable, and [have] a strong likelihood of project completion,” the board wrote in a statement. Until the university can prove at least 2,500 beds are on the way, funds for the $80 million North Campus housing project are on hold.
The dorm would replace the Old and New Leonardtown apartments, set to be demolished to make way for the East Campus development. There would be 100 more beds in the dorm than in Old and New Leonardtown.
In 2005, administrators and system officials were optimistic the board would approve the long-planned project, but plans were shelved after regents said the university should seek public-private funding. Vice President of Student Affairs Linda Clement inisisted state funding was the way the university should proceed with its housing endeavors, but she was criticized last year for her 2005 decision when more than 600 seniors were squeezed off-campus.
The regents also voted Friday to fund a program to reduce the risk of damage to the campus caused by natural disasters, and it also approved a measure to pursue contracts with new electric and gas providers.
Editor Adam Fried contributed to this report. cwellsdbk@gmail.com
