Mark Wilcox/Daily Mining Gazette Michigan Tech's newest residence hall, East Hall is seen in this Friday photo. The $62 million project is scheduled to be completed this fall.

HOUGHTON — Two years after first breaking ground, Michigan Technological University’s newest residence hall, East Hall, will be move-in ready this. The 126,000 square-foot building will “increase and enhance the variety of dynamic living experiences on campus, giving on-campus student residents more options,” according to MTU’s housing website.

The residence hall will have 516 beds, in both single and double occupancy rooms. It will be the first building on Michigan Tech’s campus to have air conditioning, and features a convenience store on the first floor. Other amenities will include a gaming room, fitness center, music studio, and more. RISE Development, LLC has been responsible for the construction of East Hall, a job which could cost up to $62 million.

With an innovative design, the new hall aims to be “vibrant and eco-friendly.” Because of the focus on sustainability within the building’s architecture, the project is likely to earn a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. These are awarded by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) to structures that are geared towards, “addressing climate change and meeting ESG goals, enhancing resilience, and supporting more equitable communities,” USGBC writes on their website.

East Hall is part of Michigan Tech’s new Campus Master Plan, which was adopted by the Board of Trustees in October of 2022. Titled “Build the Future”, the plan outlines campus development through 2035. With the Master Plan aiming to increase enrollment to 10,000 students, it’s possible we’ll see more residence halls, similar to East Hall, going up in the near future.

“As more than 500 faculty, staff, and students engaged in healthy dialogue through a series of campus conversations, it became clear that our vision to become an internationally recognized academic thought leader would need an enhanced campus,” University President Richard Koubek wrote in the Campus Master Plan. “After nearly 140 years serving as the Upper Peninsula’s leading research institution and the state’s premier STEM-based university, Michigan Tech has a new, comprehensive blueprint for what comes next.”

Also mentioned in the master plan are possible additional construction projects for the near future. These included more research laboratories and expansion of collaborative and dining spaces, such as the Memorial Union Building.