» By Brittany Hickey
Staff Writer

A topping off ceremony, marking the completion of the framework of the new residence halls, was held by APSU officials on Tuesday, March 26. The ceremony kicked off the final stretch of the housing project that will be ready for students to move in Aug. 1.

The new dorms will house 404 students, freshmen in the west building and upperclassmen in the north and south buildings.

A large grass quad will span the space between the halls, a feature that Joe Mills, director of Housing, thinks will legitimize APSU’s on-campus life. He suggested that students will be excited to use the space to throw a Frisbee or spread out a blanket to sit and study.

“These buildings are going to change the aesthetics of the campus,” President Tim Hall said. “This is an exciting day for APSU.”

Inside the new residence halls, students will find study rooms and kitchens on each floor, as well as a food court for the three buildings to share.

Over the next four months, construction will move inside and the empty steel framework will be replaced by an interior that closely reflects that of Castle Heights, according to an APSU press release.

Students may have noticed the work done on Drane Street, which Mills explains has been rerouted with added turns to help slow down traffic for the sake of pedestrian safety when 404 more students will be crossing the street daily.

According to APSU President Tim Hall, if you’re not digging, you’re dying. Hall has held to that motto during his time at APSU, Castle Heights having just completed in fall 2011 and the new football stadium set to be open for the 2014 football season.

Back in September, APSU held a student contest to name the new buildings, one name for each hall. The official names have not yet been revealed.
Students can already apply for a spot in one of the halls, and many have.