The new residence building, North Hall, will be open to students by fall 2013, according to a presentation by Jorge Abud, assistant vice president for Facilities Development and Real Estate, at the Sept. 7 Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3D meeting.
North Hall will be located across the road from McDowell Hall, in the existing parking lot next to the President’s House.
North Hall rooms will be 30 percent bigger than a traditional double dorm room, according to Abud. The rooms are suite-style with two double rooms, a shared bathroom and a living room.
“We modeled it after other buildings on North Campus,” Abud said.
Abud said North Hall will house 365 beds, an increase from the 360 beds AU reported for the hall in the March version of the Campus Plan.
Floors three through seven will house 62 beds each, while the second floor will have only 55 students and a faculty member.
North Hall to have fitness center
The ground floor will be a fitness center big enough to include two to three exercise rooms, with a maximum capacity of 100 people in each room, according to Abud.
ANC 3D chairman Tom Smith suggested placing retail on the ground floor of North Hall in place of the fitness center.
Abud said AU is trying to “cluster retail together” on East Campus, and that a fitness center would be a better use of the space.
“Students on North side would be more inclined to use this,” Abud said.
Only upperclassmen, Honors students to live in hall
While the cost to live in North Hall will be the same double room rate, it will only be available to a select group of students, either to upperclassmen or Honors students.
“It will be more of a privilege to live here,” Abud said.
North Hall may be reduced by 48 beds if the government does not approve AU building out of property lines.
“An exception is warranted because there is all this public space, and it is still a good amount of feet away from the street,” Abud said.
Smith and other residents were concerned North Hall’s height would be a visual impairment.
“I’m just worried about the aesthetic view,” Smith said.
North Hall will be as tall as McDowell Hall and other adjacent buildings.
AU submitted this plan to the D.C. Zoning Commission in July, and the hearing to approve the hall will take place Oct. 20.
pjones@theeagleonline.com
