New dorms planned for SU system

The Shreveport, New Orleans and Baton Rouge campuses of the Southern University System is expected to receive new dormitories by August 2005.
The $128 million project, spearheaded by Curtis Lee, executive director of the Southern University System Foundation, is being financed through J.P. Morgan Chase and Company.
“The legislature hasn’t funded the building of new dorms in the past 10 years,” Lee said. “It was time for the system to stop looking towards the legislature for help and find its own way to raise the funds.”
On October 16, the Louisiana State Bond Commission granted the foundation permission to begin the project. Lee said the deal should be closed in late November.
According to Lee, revenue from housing fees should pay for the project over a 30 year period. Students will pay a room and board fee comparable to the current fee of Shade and Totty Halls, which is $1,190 per semester.
The SU System purchased 38 acres of land on Lake Ponchatrain to build apartment-style dormitories at SUNO that will house 380 students.
SUSLA, a two-year associate degree institution, will accommodate 300 students.
“Our Shreveport campus has grown by 80 percent in the last two years,” Lee said. “We want to turn it into a traditional university setting.”
Students at both campuses are excited about the new changes but they had concerns about the proposal.
“I’m excited about the new dormitories but my main concern is transportation on our campus,” said Ebony Norman, vice-president of SUSLA’s Student Government Association.
Michael Matthews, a sophomore majoring in music education said SUNO has been talking about getting dormitories for a long time.
“I’ll have to see it to believe it,” Norman said.
Major renovations at SUBR are also scheduled to take place.
Jones, White and Satterwhite Halls will be demolished and three new dormitories accommodating 1,268 students will be built.
An intramural complex and field house for the baseball team will also be built.
“As the new dorms are being built we’re going to tear down the old dorms, but we’re going to leave Bradford, Grandison, Totty, Shade, Bethune and Boley up, “said SUBR Chancellor Edward R. Jackson.
The 15-month project is slated to begin May 2004.