University of Idaho housing renovation earns state approval

The Idaho State Board of Education Thursday signed off on a nearly $163 million on-campus housing proposal from University of Idaho as its freshmen enrollment continues to grow.

Total enrollment since 2019 grew by 14%, with freshmen enrollment up 42% during that same period.

That’s a problem since the school’s housing is over capacity, and many of the buildings are in disrepair, like the South Hill Apartments, which will be torn down and newly replaced.

“We have four of those buildings that have already been demolished over the last 10 years and another three buildings that have been mothballed and are currently offline because they’re quite literally uninhabitable,” said Brian Foisy, UI VP of Finance and Administration.

The university currently has capacity for 2,075 students to live on-campus, with another 200 overflow beds at a former motel nearby. Foisy said students are not satisfied with those converted motel rooms and UI doesn’t plan to renew its lease.

The upcoming project will also renovate dorms in the Wallace Residential Complex and Theophilus Tower, which are nearly 60 years old and make up the majority of the school’s capacity.

“The Moscow community simply does not have sufficient resources to meet the housing needs of these students, and available housing on the university campus is inadequate and well beyond useful life,” Foisy said.

UI will begin working with its contractors to begin demolition and complete initial utility work over the next several months.

State board of education members will need to approve a full finance plan, which UI will fully cover, in the first half of next year.

The first phase of new construction and renovations are expected to open Fall 2026, with the remaining work planned to be complete by Fall 2027.

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