By News and Internal Communications

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – MAY 9, 2024 – The University of Texas System Board of Regents on Thursday approved construction of a new residence hall and dining facility on the UTRGV Edinburg Campus.

The $135.5-million project will be located at the intersection of North Sugar Road and West Van Week Street. Construction is slated to start in July, with completion anticipated in early 2027.

The complex will include a five-story residence hall with 550 beds, and a dining hall capable of seating 500.

UTRGV President Guy Bailey said the new complex will meet the current increased demand for on-campus living on the Edinburg Campus. Currently, residence halls in Edinburg are at 100 percent capacity. The Brownsville campus is at 84 percent capacity.

“This project not only resolves immediate living-space shortages, but also prepares us for further enrollment growth,” Bailey said. “We are excited to provide our students with another great opportunity that enables them to stay and thrive in the Rio Grande Valley.

“I’d like to thank the UT System Board and Regents and Chancellor James B. Milliken for their continued support of UTRGV and our campus community,” Bailey said.

The new residence hall, the first on the Edinburg Campus in 20 years, will offer double-, single-, and premium single-bed units configured in community pods around shared collaboration spaces. (Preliminary Artist Rendering)

RESIDENCE / DINING COMPLEX

The new residence hall, the first on the Edinburg Campus in 20 years, will offer double-, single-, and premium single-bed units configured in community pods around shared collaboration spaces. The hall also will feature various common areas tailored for study and community-building activities.

The new dining hall will be larger than the current dining facility, which will be converted into a full-time catering kitchen to better serve university events. The new dining hall also will feature a retail shop, and preliminary designs include a Mongolian grill station.

Funded through the UT System’s Capital Investment Program, construction costs of the new complex will be repaid by UTRGV via auxiliary services revenues, in compliance with state law, which prohibits funding from tuition or mandatory fees. 

Dr. Magdalena Hinojosa, senior vice president of Strategic Enrollment and Student Affairs, said the new complex will help enhance student success and campus life, key university priorities. UTRGV recently added a marching band and drill team, and the start of women’s swimming and diving and football programs are just around the corner. 

“Research shows that students living on campus tend to be more successful, particularly within their first two years,” Hinojosa said. “After this project is complete, our Brownsville and Edinburg campuses will have 1,740 total beds available for students. That will have a positive impact on our student success and campus life.”

While the prices to lease rooms in the new residence hall have not been finalized, Hinojosa said university officials worked hard to ensure that the potential room-and-board costs low enough to be covered by financial aid. A new housing scholarship is also under development and will be announced later, she said.

The new dining hall will be larger than the current dining facility, which will be converted into a full-time catering kitchen to better serve university events. The new dining hall also will feature a retail shop, and preliminary designs include a Mongolian grill station. (Preliminary Artist Rendering)