As of December 2025, UF has a total of 76 ongoing construction projects. Some are in the design process, others are being planned and some are already undergoing construction.
UF is allocating over $2.4 billion into the endeavor. About $2.2 billion will go toward 28 “major” capital construction projects, while the remainder will go to 48 “minor” ones.
Major projects include facility and infrastructure upgrades and new buildings. They could also refer to additions and renovations to current buildings. Activities like roof replacements, single floor renovations and classroom and lab additions are considered “minor.”
Anticipated completion dates vary, with the latest being 2030. Twenty-two of the projects don’t have confirmed completion dates as of December 2025.
Here’s a look into some UF’s major advancements in housing and academic facilities.
Construction of new undergraduate dorms
Earlier this year, the Florida Board of Governors unanimously approved a loan that would allow UF to borrow up to $245 million for new UF dorms.
The project, expected to cost around $214.7 million, is the first of a decade-long plan to strengthen the UF housing system, according to the resolution proposed by the board. Two eight- to nine-story buildings, including around 1,100 beds, will house on-campus UF undergraduate students, the resolution says.
The project will replace the 622 beds lost in the demolition of Trusler, Simpson and Graham halls in June 2025. The board said the project will expand undergraduate housing by 5.11%, with a total of over 9,700 beds for all undergraduate dorms.
The buildings will be located at the intersection of Museum Road and Gale Lemerand Drive, where Trusler, Simpson and Graham halls previously stood.
The per-bed cost is the highest to date for UF student housing projects and the second-highest among all projects in the State University System, costing $195,000 per bed.
UF attributed the high cost to inflation induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. The university plans to increase rent over multiple years in the housing system to align with the building cost increases, according to the resolution.
Kevin Pichard, assistant vice chancellor on the board, explained how this project will cater to waitlisted freshmen for on-campus housing at the meeting where the project was approved.
“UF’s got a waiting list,” Pichard said, “a perpetual waiting list every year that could fill this project on its own.”
The project is planned to be completed by July 2028 to accommodate incoming freshmen for Fall 2028.
UF’s ongoing housing projects
Five residence halls on UF’s main campus are set for renovation over the next 10 years: Beaty Towers will get a refresh, as well as Mallory, Yulee and Reid halls. These housing demolitions, renovations and new construction projects on UF’s campus are also part of the 10-year campus master plan, estimated to cost $1.1 billion.
The dorms, which are catered to incoming freshmen according to the project summary, will mostly be two-bedroom, one-bathroom semi-suite rooms with study and lounge spaces as well as grab-and-go dining areas.
Monthly rent for students will be a little over $1,100, which is higher than the average UF dorm rent of $900 across all residences.
The project summary also said one of the buildings will partially allocate two stories to the Disability Resource Center.
These rooms will allow UF to address the high demand for on-campus housing, which has a record-high occupancy rate of 98% to 99%, along with yearly waiting lists.
Though not directly involved in this project, Ryland Wagner, the 47-year-old managing member at Joyner Construction Partners, has done several jobs on campus. From a management perspective, he said, the long-term construction of a project this size can affect nearby areas. Wagner says the project will likely bring road closures, debris and noise.
One of the main challenges that comes with on-campus projects is ensuring all workers have access to parking, he added.
“I've done a bunch of projects on campus or near campus. There's no parking anywhere,” Wagner said. “Everybody's got a truck.”
Another issue is the timeliness of the project, Wagner said. If the project takes longer than expected, students with those housing placements will likely have to be temporarily placed into hotels.
Honors Village, an undergraduate residential project, was completed in 2024, costing $150 million. Additionally, the demolition of both undergraduate and graduate halls took place last year, estimating a total cost of $18.5 million.
Graduate students question priorities
While the new dorms will cater toward waitlisted undergraduate students, after the recent demolition of graduate residence halls Maguire Village and University Village South last year, graduate students are also advocating for more on-campus housing options.
The on-campus graduate housing capacity in 2029 is roughly 950 students. By comparison, undergraduate student housing for 2029 is estimated at around 9,400 students.
Based on the total number of undergraduate students in UF’s 2024-2025 term, 25.8% would be able to live on campus in 2029. Using this same data for graduate students, only 4.8% would be able to live on campus.
Saad Alghamdi, a 30-year-old UF mechanical engineering doctoral student, has lived in Diamond Village for four months. Alghamdi has enjoyed his time in Diamond, but he said he was on a waitlist for on-campus housing for two years straight.
Alghamdi said living off-campus was difficult because of higher rent and a longer commute to campus.
“We need more buildings for the graduate students,” he said. “I have so many friends that are waiting for the waiting list.”
Wonjung Kim, a 27-year-old UF political science doctoral student who also lives in Diamond Village, appreciates the convenience of on-campus locations for graduate housing, but he agreed waiting lists can be tricky.
“I know the process can be quite complicated in terms of waiting lists,” he said. “But I think they [UF] are trying their best.”
Izaya Miles, a 25-year-old UF law student, lives at The Continuum, a graduate housing complex partnered with UF. He said finding housing was easy for him when he moved to Gainesville.
Miles said he's enjoyed his time at The Continuum and appreciates the management. From his personal experience, he said UF’s provided graduate housing is in a good place.
“You know, everyone's got to live somewhere,” Miles said.
UF Planning, Construction & Design was not immediately available for comment.
UF College of Dentistry reconstruction — what to expect:
The UF College of Dentistry has entered the fourth and final year of funding for its $210 million, multiphase reconstruction project — a total redesign to expand student capacity, modernize clinical training and increase access to affordable dental care.
Additions should be completed by July 2028, and renovations should also end by July 2030, according to the construction plan. Additions include a new main entrance and expanded space for practice clinics, teaching labs, classrooms, offices and research facilities.
Dr. Isabel Garcia, dean of UF College of Dentistry, said the project will bring new opportunities for faculty and students.
“The project — it’s really three projects — will create what is going to be an amazing new space,” she said.
Plans also call for replacement of the college's parking lot, with closer, covered parking to improve accessibility for patients and visitors.
The reconstruction would not have been possible without what she described as historic support from the Florida Legislature, Garcia said.
The first phase, known as the “building envelope project,” began Fall 2025 and focuses on removing the building’s original brick exterior, a process she said is expected to take about a year. The brick demolition will be followed by an installation of a waterproof insulation system.
The second phase will add about 100,000 square feet of modernized clinical and educational space. Construction is expected to begin in August and last about two years.
The final phase will include the renovation of multiple floors of the 11-story building, originally built in 1972, targeting aging infrastructure and utilities that affect every program housed in the current building.
Garcia said the college’s programs and mission have “outgrown” the physical capacity of the facility.
The expansion will allow the college to increase class sizes for both dental students and residents, while incorporating updated technology and redesigned classrooms, Garcia said.
The college’s class of 2029 enrolled only 93 students out of over 2,000 applicants. Garcia said once the project is completed, she anticipates the number of accepted students and applicants to increase.
The project also includes the addition of the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic. Garcia said the clinic will combine medical and dental expertise to improve patient outcomes.
Other additions include a specialized center focused on treating patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Garcia said the college serves as a “safety net” for patients who cannot afford private dental care, a need she said is growing across the community.
Relocation of UF’s Hamilton School for Classical and Civil Education
UF’s old infirmary is being renovated for the arrival of UF’s Hamilton School. These renovations are expected to be done by Fall 2027, starting classes in Spring 2028.
UF’s Board of Trustees Chair Morteza “Mori” Hosseini announced $55 million will go toward construction in a groundbreaking ceremony for the center in November 2025.
The project’s final cost will be $56.8 million.
The new building will consist of four stories. Floors will include workstations, lecture halls, classrooms, offices and a library. There will also be reading rooms, lounges and seminar halls.
The Hamilton School’s website said the “building is made for conservation and community.” The website also emphasizes the building's many large windows will bring light in and “encourage clarity, curiosity and leadership.”
Director Charles Canady said he thinks the Hamilton School is growing “more rapidly” than any of UF’s other programs. He said other colleges will look to the school as a “model” for civic education.
“We’re excited about the new home for Hamilton," Canady said. “It’s an extraordinarily beautiful building, a historic structure that was in need of serious renovation.”
Contact Alabama Weninegar at aweninegar@alligator.org. Follow her on X at @AlabamaW40513.
Alabama Weninegar is a first-year journalism major and The Alligator's Spring 2026 University General Assignment Reporter. She also works a part-time job at Wyatt's Coffee downtown. In her free time, she enjoys watching her favorite shows on a rainy day or re-reading the Twilight series.
