Oakland University Plans Ahead: More Students Require More Dorms

By Veronica Grecu, Associate Editor

Oakland University campus

With enrollment enthusiasm reaching record levels year after year, Oakland University has been facing an increased demand for student housing for its 1,443-acre campus in Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills.

Earlier this month, the university issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) from architectural firms for a new student residence hall that will be located on three adjacent parking lots located on the south side of the main campus in Auburn Hills. Oakland University plans to invest around $77 million for the proposed six-story building, which would contain 208,935 square feet.

According to the RFP, the new student residence is set to include 740 beds, a dining hall with 600 seats, as well as classroom space for around 200 students. The investment will include design, site development and construction costs, permitting, technology, furniture, fixtures, equipment, and landscaping.

The design proposals are due by 2:00 p.m. on November 5, and the architecture firm will be selected by the end of the month and approved by the university’s board of trustees in December. The project is set to break ground next summer with an opening date set for August 2018, in time for the start of the academic year.

Oakland University was founded in late 1950s as a satellite of Michigan State University and opened with only 570 students and three buildings. In 1962 the institution was renamed Oakland University and, seven years later, it became officially independent. According to The Detroit News, 21,700 students enrolled this fall—five percent more than last year—and nearly 3,600 submitted housing requests. The number of students living on campus hit a record of 2,699 this fall, up 30 percent since 2008.

Image via Oakland University’s Facebook Page