FILE PHOTO: A view of the Williams Village East dorm on Aug. 30, 2019 (Robert Tann/CU Independent)
The University of Colorado Boulder is having growing pains. After a decade of increasing enrollment, CU’s campus is looking at new ways to find room for its students. Aside from 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, CU Boulder has seen an increase in enrolled students every year since 2014. In the little over a decade stretch, that number has jumped to 32,520 total undergraduates, adding nearly 1,000 extra students on campus each year.
In response, the university released a Campus Master Plan in 2021, outlining a diverse 25-year project to expand the school grounds. The blueprint outlines various new student housing projects, a framework to decongest the campus and outlines how CU will use these locations to support academics.
One of the first steps in its plan, CU has begun developing two new spaces to help accommodate the growing number of students.
The first, an on-campus apartment-style building at 19th and Athens streets, dubbed Residence One, is under construction to house approximately 330 students. The new residence facility is currently slated to be ready for move in August 2026.
The second, at 1164 W. Dillon Road, has been purchased by the University and is expected to have a plan for development by December 2025. Although the exact plan for the space remains to be seen, the university has stated its opportunity for housing and mixed-use development.
Mattie Nunez, a freshman at CU Boulder, has experienced the universities limited housing options firsthand.
“I applied for a single,” Nunez said, who is currently living in a makeshift triple-bedded dorm. “I’m in a super small room with two other roommates. My wardrobe is super small, it’s not enough space whatsoever.”
Nunez was placed in a room that was originally intended for two people, but rearranged for three by adding a bunk bed and an extra desk.
“Ninety-seven percent of students living in bunked triples selected this type of space when they completed the housing application,” Deborah Mendez-Wilson, CU Boulder’s spokesperson for issue management, said. “Preferences are not guaranteed and are subject to availability.”
Building new residencies is just a small aspect of the Master Plan’s full agenda, which includes other goals to declutter campus and renovate outdated dorms. The plan states the universities intent to respect campus character and structure while enhancing access.
Some historic dorms on campus, like Farrand Hall or Libby Hall, were built before the 1960s, and don’t supply amenities like air conditioning.
“I was in Libby the other day,” Nunez said. “Just being in there for 10 to 15 minutes, we were all super hot … it’s awful, renovations are definitely needed.”
By 2031, the university plans to have renovations complete for various dorms and classrooms, outlined in their 10-year project list. Living spaces like Old Main Hall, Macky Auditorium Concert Hall and Hale Hall are due for maintenance, while classrooms in Muenzinger Auditorium and the chemistry buildings will be refurbished.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Baylan Wysuph at baylan.wysuph@colorado.edu
