The University of Michigan is moving forward with a project that will dramatically reshape Central Campus housing, with the addition of a 2,300-bed residence hall and 900-seat dining facility that will be ready for the first set of students in fall 2025.

The Board of Regents unanimously approved a facility plan that incorporates classic architecture and sustainability features at its February 2023 meeting.

“This state-of-the-art facility will address a palpable housing need for our first-year students, while connecting them more closely to our campus and community,” President Santa J. Ono said. “We’ve put great deliberation into how this space will best serve our students, while also drawing inspiration from U-M’s unique architecture and residential character.”

The residence hall and dining facility to be constructed on what is currently Elbel Field between East Hoover Avenue and Hill Street, will be the first Central Campus residence hall built specifically for first-year students since 1963 and will significantly alleviate a decades-long shortage of on-campus student housing. The residential portion includes five halls, each ranging between five and seven stories, and a series of green courtyard spaces and quadrangles along a broad pedestrian walkway.

The facility is designed to advance U-M’s efforts to achieve universitywide carbon neutrality. The dining hall, for example, will use geothermal exchange systems for heating and cooling, as well as innovative all-electric equipment for cooking, making it one of the first all-electric facilities of its kind in the nation. The facility also incorporates new energy-efficient building standards and solar panels on the roof. The complex is designed to earn LEED Platinum certification.