Cal Poly started constructing nine new dorm buildings in August as part of the Future Housing Plan. The $1 billion multiphase construction and renovation project is estimated to be completed in 2032.
As a result, the campus permanently closed the R1, K1 and K2 parking lots behind the South Mountain Residence Halls, also known as the Red Bricks, where the new dorm buildings will be built.
Klamath Road, Deer Road and Mountain Lane, located by the South Mountain Residence Halls, are closed and only accessible to emergency and service vehicles, according to an email from University Housing. Deer and Mountain roads are open to pedestrians, and Klamath Road is open to pedestrians near Vista Grande Dining Complex.
University Housing said that during Mustang Move-In, Red Brick residents can unload along the curb space in front of the dorms.
Under the Future Housing Plan, Cal Poly will add about 4,000 beds to campus by building new dorms, University Housing said. They will also renovate the six Red Brick residence halls, though no new beds will be added to these buildings during the renovations.
When the new housing is completed, all second-year students will be required to live on campus.
“Our two-year housing program is designed with student success and retention in mind,” University Housing told Mustang News. “Cal Poly is committed to building a well-rounded, nurturing support system that positively impacts not only academics but also student life; diversity, equity and inclusion; and health and well-being.”
According to the University Housing website, this project will follow a modular construction approach, meaning housing units will be fabricated in a factory and brought on-site for assembly. Most residential units will be three-bedroom, two-bathroom suites, with each bedroom designed to hold two people and a living space.
In each building, all residents will share a large community space, study lounges and quiet study spaces.
University Housing said the project’s first phase will add three residence halls with about 1,348 beds on the south end of the K1 and K2 parking lots adjacent to Fremont Hall (Bldg. 109). These three buildings will open in fall 2026 and fall 2027.
Renovations to Santa Lucia Hall will begin in the fall of 2026 and reopen to residents in the fall of 2027. University Housing stated on its website that there will be no loss of bed space during this project.
Following the project’s first phase, University Housing said they plan to demolish North Mountain Residence Halls in summer 2027, which currently houses 339 students, to build residence halls that will house more than North Mountain’s occupancy.
On a Cal Poly Housing Instagram post on July 25, about a dozen commenters expressed concerns about campus parking. Architecture sophomore Adam Binford, who parked in the K parking lots last school year, wondered where “(students) are going to park now?”
“My main concern is for the future years of students,” Binford said. “Since we’re adding [about] 4,000 beds for all second-year [students], we’re left with even less spaces to park. This then leads to the other lots being even harder to get a spot and probably making permits more expensive.”
When asked about the reduction of parking, University Housing said alternate parking could be found in the Grand Avenue Parking Structure and H4 lots for faculty and staff and Structure 1313 and the R3 and R4 lots for residents. University Housing also encouraged sustainable transportation options such as bicycles, carpooling or SLO public transit services.
University Housing told Mustang News that this model will help limit costs, provide quality control and reduce construction noise and disturbances.
There will be no construction during finals week and other high-impact days.
University Housing said it currently houses about 40% of the student population on campus. The colleges of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences, Engineering, Architecture, and Environmental Design, student-athletes, Cal Poly Scholars, and TRIO Achievers are provided housing for two years in Poly Canyon Village and Cerro Vista. An additional 400 spaces are available through a lottery to the other students.
Business administration junior Vaishali Nair entered the lottery but did not secure on-campus housing for her second year. She was separated from her first-year roommate and said it would be nice to regulate housing so everyone can live nearby in their second year.
“I really wanted to live with [my freshman year roommate] again [sophomore year] because our living habits went together really well,” Nair said. “[However,] she’s an engineer, and with me being business, I couldn’t live with her again, even though I tried. Everyone I was comfortable living with kind of got separated from me.”
University Housing said this project will ease existing demand, accommodate future enrollment growth and address aged facilities.“We’re working closely with students, the campus community and project partners to design and build housing that fosters learning, engagement and belonging,” University Housing told Mustang News.
