The Student Housing West project continues to progress. The project, which will deliver 3,000 beds to campus by 2022, includes housing for upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, students with families, and child care. This project is critical in addressing the need for more on-campus housing.
We have selected Capstone Development Partners as our preferred developer to deliver the project, and they have been working alongside UC Santa Cruz team members in developing building siting, density and program adjacencies. Collegiate Housing Foundation has been selected to serve as the non-profit owner of the development.
When the Student Housing West project was launched, there were several objectives shared with development teams vying to deliver the project. With an overarching goal of advancing affordability, the objectives continue to guide work as we have moved into project siting and design, and include the following:
- Support for student development, student retention, and academic success
- Maximization of creativity in addressing planning, design, and implementation challenges
- Creation of inclusive communities for a diverse student population
- Development of housing communities that support a student experience consistent with that of students living in campus owned and operated housing communities
- Advancement of university sustainability goals and minimization of environmental impacts from facilities and operations
- Accommodation of the diverse needs of upper division students, graduate students, and students with families and provision of high density neighboring adjacencies conducive to communal living
- Sensitivity to the natural environment in the siting of buildings, infrastructure, and open spaces
- Enhancement of connectivity between the west and larger campus networks with pathways for pedestrian, bicycle, shuttle, and vehicular transportation
- Utilization of life-cycle cost metrics, a total cost of ownership framework, and a robust, comprehensive financial plan to ensure the longevity and quality of facilities and systems
As work has evolved on the project, so too has the thinking on the best location for family student housing and child care. It was announced at the end of 2016 that, as part of the new housing project, child care would be expanded to accommodate the children of employees. A revised approach to siting has emerged as a way to maximize project objectives, including those outlined above. The revised plan will shift family student housing and child care to a site off of Hagar Drive near the base of campus. In addition to advancing project objectives, it also moves child care to a location more proximate and accessible to employees living on campus.
We have been conducting several stakeholder engagement sessions in recent weeks. For those who would like to learn more, we are hosting two open town halls on November 1st:
- 1–2 p.m. at Kresge Town Hall
- 7–8 p.m. at Oakes Learning Center
