BATON ROUGE — On Thursday, Southern University is breaking ground on a new project that will increase on-campus student housing capacity by 850 beds. 

The new project, adjacent to the Horace W. Moody Intramural Sports Complex on Helen Barron Drive, will be built in phases, with the first phase of 500 beds expected to be completed within 13 months. Phase I will include beds for freshman annd sophomore, with Phase II focusing on housing for upperclassmen. They’ve already started the process for funding the next phase. 

This nearly $80 million project will be a four-story complex with study rooms, common spaces on each floor and dining facilities.

The project is part of a partnership between Southern University, the Southern University System Foundation and the Louisiana Public Facilities Authority.

School officials say that the project will "support enrollment growth and enhance the overall student experience."