University of Miami Unveils Plans for $260 Million On-Campus Residential Village

by Katie Sloan

Coral Gables, Fla. — The University of Miami has unveiled plans for a residential village set to replace the existing Stanford and Hecht Residential colleges on the university’s campus in Coral Gables.

The 522,000-square-foot development — named Centennial Village — will include 1,700 beds for first-year students in four residential colleges, indoor and outdoor spaces for academic and extracurricular activities, a learning hub, meditation room and apartments for faculty and staff. The total project cost for the multi-phase development is estimated at $260 million.

“The University will be providing the next generation of ’Canes a unique residential experience that will enhance and contribute more to their college success,” says Patricia Whitely, vice president for student affairs at the University of Miami. “We look forward to this project, which will complement the Student Housing Village currently under construction.”

The first phase of development is scheduled to open in fall 2022 and will replace Stanford Residential College. Phase II will be delivered in fall 2024, and will replace Hecht Residential College. The university also plans to renovate an existing property, Easton Residential College, and incorporate it into Centennial Village in fall 2025.

Design plans for the project have been submitted to the City of Coral Gables for review, and the university plans to break ground in summer 2020. The property’s design team includes VMDO Architects and Zysocvich Architects. Grycon LLC provided pre-construction services.

VMDO was selected as the designer for the project from a pool of invited applicants, five of whom were asked to present design work over a multi-staged interview process. VMDO has teamed with Miami-based Zysocvich Architects to deliver the project.

“When presented with the opportunity to re-envision our first-year housing, we took an in-depth look at the first-year experience of our resident students,” said Jim Smart, executive director for Housing and Residential Life at the University of Miami. “Centennial Village will provide students with a blend of individual, group, and community-wide spaces to aid in their transition into university life.”

— Katie Sloan and David Cohen

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