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JAUH Renovations
The University of Hawaii at Manoa is set to open its first new dorm in over 30 years. The newly completed Frear Hall cost $71 million will allow students to begin living in the dorm from the fall semester. School officials are hoping the new 800 room facility will relieve pressure on older dorms and alleviate some of the backlog in student housing.
Two other dorms at the school, Hale Aloha Ilima and Hale Aloha Lokelani, will close for one year for repairs. The closure of the facilities will mean that the school losses about 500 beds out of the schools 3,000. The new dorm, however, will actually create a net increase of 300 rooms, allowing most students who apply have a chance at getting a dorm room. UH plans an additional $40 million in dorm repairs over the next few years.
Many UH students have complaints about the poor condition of the dorms. School officials say the lack of campus housing and the rundown facilities have reduced the number of housing applicants. Many students usually don't even bother applying because of the poor reputation of the facilities. The school is hoping that the new dorm will change all of that. The cost of the rooms at the new dorm will run from $5,186 (for double occupancy) to $8,717 (for a single room). The rates for existing dorms are a little lower, ranging anywhere from $3,497 to $6,111 a year.
