University of Tampa announces plans for more student housing

TAMPA — The University of Tampa on Friday announced plans for its biggest building yet: a 450,000-square-foot, 10-story structure with housing for more than 600 students.

The building also will have more than 450 parking spaces, 40 faculty offices, five classrooms, study rooms and other spaces, the university said.

Plans are still in development, university spokesman Eric Cardenas said, and more details including renderings and costs will be released in the future.

The announcement follows a year of housing woes that forced many students and their families to scramble for off-campus apartments at the last minute. The university acknowledged the problems, attributing many of them to what it called a “challenging” admissions cycle driven by students making late decisions about college because of the pandemic.

The university said it expects construction of the new building to begin in May and be completed by 2024. The building will be north of the Sykes College of Business.