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Friday, March 29, 2024
NEWS  |  CAMPUS

UF names new dorm, schedules groundbreaking for February

Details have emerged about the new residence hall that is under construction on the corner of 13th Street and Museum Road.

Sharon Blansett, the assistant to the associate vice president for UF Student Affairs, said the building will feature design influences from the business college, Beaty Towers and Yulee Area, and construction should be completed by Summer 2015.

“The functional name for this hall is Cypress Hall,” Blansett said. “This was a big deal for us to get the OK to start calling it something other than UF 400 or 2015 Residence Hall.”

There will be an official groundbreaking ceremony on Feb. 14 at 3 p.m. inside of the construction area, she said.

One of the most exciting things about this particular hall, Blansett said, is the plan to support the needs of students with higher levels of physical disability needs.

Mitch Herold, a 21-year-old UF microbiology senior, has been a teaching assistant for three semesters in UF’s Exceptional People course, which is a course designed to teach students how to interact with people with disabilities.

He said he believes the American Disabilities Act modifications are a step in the right direction.

“The hardest part is getting around and the functionalities of being in college if you are disabled,” Herold said. “There are a lot of simple things that people don’t think of, such as the stairs, or if the bathrooms aren’t up to ADA code, it can create a lot of stress in their lives.”

Blansett said they will start with about seven ADA-enhanced suites based on the Student Affairs’ estimate of demand, but the hall has resources to convert 35 rooms.

Cypress Hall will be able to house 255 students, and any student will be able to live there.

“We’re very excited about the possibility of taking things beyond just the status quo and routine,” Blansett said. “This is the next tier of support.”

[A version of this story ran on page 9 on 1/28/2014 under the headline "UF names new dorm, schedules groundbreaking for February"]

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