UC Santa Barbara Announces Plans to Add 3,500 On-Campus Beds

Santa Barbara, Calif. — The University of California (UC) Santa Barbara has announced plans to develop new residence halls offering a total of 3,500 beds through 2029. The first phase of the two-part project will include a 2,250-bed development dubbed San Benito. The project will be developed on a five-acre site between Mesa Road and Stadium Road, which formerly housed offices for the university’s facilities management, transportation and parking services. The community will include a number of multi-story buildings offering mostly four-bedroom apartments with a mix of some single- and double-occupancy units. The project will also include a market and cafe, study and game rooms, recreational spaces and bike and pedestrian paths connecting to campus. The development is scheduled for completion in 2027. Planning and design for Phase II will begin later this year, with completion targeted for 2029. The university is working with architectural firms Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and Mithun on the project. Additional development partners were not announced. The university has also appointed a committee of faculty members, housing and dining staff, and administrators to oversee planning for the project.