Florida Atlantic University has instilled a timeline to build a new seven-story residence hall on the Boca Raton campus, with construction slated to begin in spring 2025. 

The project aims to address the growing demand for on-campus housing by providing an additional 674 student beds. The residence hall will be located on the grassy area east of Parliament Hall and is expected to be ready for occupancy by fall 2026, according to a Dec. 20 announcement email from FAU. 

There are currently two grassy areas east of Parliament Hall, one of which is a burrowing owl preserve. It is unclear at this moment which grassy area the new residence hall will be built on. 

The residence hall, which is currently unnamed, will be designated for upperclassmen and sophomores, the University Press reported in October.

To facilitate construction and ensure campus safety, the south portion of Parking Lot 28 will be closed for the duration of the project. FAU has advised that all vehicles must be removed from this area by 5 p.m. on Jan. 2, 2025.

In response to parking impacts, the university has outlined the following adjustments in the email:

• Residential students with green permits are directed to park in Parking Garage II (PK-88) on levels 4 and 5, including the up/down ramps between these levels.
• Faculty, staff and commuters are directed to park in Parking Garage II on levels 1, 2 and 3, as well as in Parking lots 1, 25 and 27. 

For assistance with navigating these changes, a campus map with all parking lot locations is still available on the FAU website. 

FAU’s shuttle service will still continue its regular routes during the construction period. Pick-up locations include the Indian River, Parliament Hall and University Village Apartments stops. 

For more information on shuttle routes, students and staff can visit fau.etaspot.net. 

Laurie Mermet is the News Editor for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email lmermet2022@fau.edu or DM laurie.mmt on Instagram.