Major Milestone Reached in New $45M Cadet Residence Hall

By Andie Lowenstein, Associate Editor

Galveston, Texas–A flag-raising ceremony took place to celebrate a construction milestone in the building of the new Texas A&M Maritime Academy Residence Hall.

Midshipmen, faculty, staff members, contractors and various other stakeholders joined Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp, Texas A&M University Interim President Dr. Mark Hussey and Texas A&M University at Galveston CEO Rear Admiral Robert Smith III to raise the Texas A&M Flag as a symbol of the major progress completed in the project so far.

The project highlights a design dedicated to the Academy and the University’s need to offer midshipmen direct access to residential, leadership and centralized gathering locations. The facility showcases two residential wings connected by a central commons, with contiguous features such as an illuminated formation court and modern amenities and facilities. The common area includes classrooms, study lounges, flexible social spaces, staff and cadet offices, a reception area, common laundry facilities, a convenience shop and storage areas.

El Paso-based Hunt Companies (Hunt) and Texas A&M University at Galveston (TAMUG) began construction of the residence hall on June 30, 2014 and the project is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2015. The campus has grown from 551 students in 1987 to more than 2,300 students in 2015 so the project will address the need for more housing.

“This is a major milestone for Hunt as well as for Texas A&M University at Galveston,” stated Chris Hunt, Hunt Companies CEO. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with TAMUG to help ensure this campus offers the best living experience possible for the cadets who will spend the next four years here.”

Hunt is providing development and construction management services for design, finance, site and vertical construction. Moss Construction, a Hunt affiliate, is the general contractor and the buildings architecture was completed by PGAL. The Texas A&M Maritime Academy is one of six maritime academies in the U.S. training graduates for licensing as officers in the U.S. Merchant Marine and for commissioning in the U.S. Navy.