A rendering of the on-campus dorm at Metro State University. Image courtesy of Metro State
Metropolitan State University's image as a commuter school is about to change.
The intrigue: The state-funded university near downtown Denver is preparing to build its first on-campus residence hall, a $117.7 million project to house up to 550 students.
The 12-story building on the north end of the Auraria campus, across from Ball Arena, will feature a career hub and ground-floor retail designed for food operators.
An adjacent building of the same height will include 300 workforce housing units.
State of play: MSU Denver officials signed the final documents yesterday to advance the project. Construction is expected to start this summer and finish before the fall 2027 semester.
The project is funded by a bond worth as much as $115 million and $9.6 million in gifts.
Between the lines: As part of its mission, MSU Denver drew non-traditional and part-time students in the Denver metro. But now, half its 12,000-student body is considered traditional in terms of age and seeking four-year degrees.
With the shift, demand for on-campus housing is exponential, per MSU Denver officials.
In a recent survey, one-third of students reported commuting over 40 minutes to campus and more than 70% expressed interest in on-campus housing.
What they're saying: Associate vice president and dean of students Taylor Tackett said the school's appeal to commuter students will remain, but the dorm will make it a 24/7 campus.
"This is really just creating more opportunities for our students to engage more academically here on our campus," he told Axios Denver.
