Image courtesy of Servitas.
Alyssa Elso/Staff Writer
Construction of the new residence halls at Biscayne Bay campus is quickly underway after the housing committee approved construction group.
Prior to selecting a construction company that would build the new residence halls, the committee was considering two construction groups, Servitas and Balfour Beatty. After meeting over a period of two to three months and rating each company on the categories of “Team, Construction and Design, Financials and Company Experience” the housing committee chose Servitas to construct the new campus housing.
“The reason we chose Servitas was because they produced a product that was conducive to FIU’s culture, while providing students with great amenities at an affordable rental rate,” said Emerald Nesbitt, Student Government Association Housing Senator.
Image courtesy of Servitas.
A resort-style pool is among the ideas for the construction of the new housing at Biscayne Bay Campus.
(Images for illustration purposes only, design may vary).
According to Jim Wassenaar, Servitas will “build, finance, and operate” housing at BBC. In other words, privatized housing.
Construction of the new housing complex is expected to be completed by fall 2015 and is currently set to be constructed in two phases, between the Marine Science Building and the Roz & Cal Kovens Conference Center.
The eight-story structure will have over 600 beds as phase one will include 430 beds with phase two adding an additional 182 beds.
“Students currently residing in housing will have to leave Bay Vista Housing by May 1,” said Nesbitt. “However, if all goes as planned and there are no set backs they will have a new residence hall to move into within the next academic school year.”
While the construction of the new residence hall is a necessary addition to BBC, the construction process will force students wishing to reside near BBC to look for off-campus housing.
In order to construct a residential hall that best suits student needs, the Servitas company set up a student survey in order to gain student input on various aspects of the project. In addition to asking students housing related questions, the survey includes pictures of what the residence halls and rooms will look like.
According to Servitas survey, the new apartment community will offer fully furnished units with single bedrooms, a common living room, full kitchen, and a choice of private or shared bathrooms. The community could feature study rooms, a computer lab, classrooms, game room, clubhouse, and a resort style pool with grilling stations and hammocks.
Image courtesy of Servitas.
In the plans that Servitas has for the construction of the new privatized housing at BBC, the building will be tall enough to offer some units a view of the bay.
(Image for illustration purposes only, design may vary).
The housing could have laundry facilities and a vending area, and could be landscaped and have several special outdoor study/social/recreational areas. The building will be state of the art with a fitness center and Wi-Fi for residents with elevators offering access to every floor.
The community could offer also a reserved parking area for only residents. Finally, the placement and height of the building will offer some units ocean/bay views.
In order to accommodate the new housing complex, the BBC campus will also construct 212 new parking spaces by Academic Center Two.
According to Servitas, The goal is to create an apartment community where students can live, learn and socialize at BBC and in the local community.
“I believe the company chosen will produce a product that students will enjoy for years to come,” said Nesbitt.
Students can fill out the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BBC-Housing.
-alyssa.elso@fiusm.com
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