The traditional-style hall is the second to open in two years on Belknap Campus, providing modern, affordable housing that goes to the heart of student success.

Called New Residence Hall (NRH), the building will accommodate 450 primarily first-year students in one- and two-bedroom units on five floors. It will also be home to UofL’s new, where  students can find hands-on job and research opportunities.

“We know students, especially in their first year, thrive when they are immersed in the college experience,” said Lori Stewart Gonzalez, interim president. “This new hall and its twin neighbor place 900 first-year students as close as they can be to the Swain Student Activities Center, the Interfaith Center, Ekstrom Library, numerous classroom buildings and our beautiful outdoor spaces.”

As part of its strategic plan, UofL has invested $87 million in these two Belknap Campus student housing projects over the past two years. Last year, UofL celebrated the opening of NRH’s neighbor and twin, currently named Belknap Residence Hall.

“The opening of this new residence hall is a culmination of over a decade of planning and implementing capital improvements to make the University of Louisville a vibrant learning and residential community for our students,” said Michael Mardis, vice president for student affairs and dean of students. “We at the university are excited to see a large number of new freshmen and returning students choosing to live on campus this year. Students who live on campus both here at UofL and nationally are more likely to be successful students.”

To make room, UofL demolished Miller and Threlkeld halls, which had been home to first-year students for close to six decades.

“Our new residence halls have the amenities students are looking for in the 21st century and will contribute to their success,” said Tom Hardy, executive director of university housing and the resident experience.

NRH was designed with input from students and offers common areas with abundant natural light, classrooms, private study rooms, a game room, a kitchen and several laundry areas. It also features private bathrooms.

Messer Construction was tapped to complete the project. During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Messer’s Jason Larkin said the company wanted to “meaningfully engage students” throughout the building process and created five co-ops for students to work on the project. Three of those students have since graduated and are now full-time employees at Messer. 

“I had the opportunity to tour the New Residence Hall shortly before construction was complete,” said Dorian Brown, 2022-2023 president of the UofL Student Government Association. “I thought it was pretty cool seeing a friend of mine who graduated from UofL after my freshman year, was on the construction team and was involved in bringing the New Residence Hall to life!”

A time capsule focused on the construction years of 2021 to 2022 was placed near the building’s dedication marker by the main door. It holds items such as the university’s strategic plan, a message from Gonzalez, Covid tests and masks, a newspaper marking the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine and sports updates.

In addition to these halls, UofL Athletics will soon celebrate the opening of the new 128-bed Denny Crum Residence Hall near the basketball practice facility.

While some early move-ins had already taken place, Wednesday’s official start saw a stream of anxious first-year students and their families hauling belongings and sharing laughs, hugs and tears under warm, sunny skies.

Three mini Cardinal Marching Bands provided that traditional college sound at different locations to add to the celebratory mood.

Approximately 3,500 students — 2,000 of them first-year students — will move into university housing before the start of classes Aug. 23. 

More than 450 will be the first residents of the just-opened Belknap Residence Hall, the university’s first new residence hall in 31 years. It joins two other traditional-style halls that are primarily for first-year students, Miller Hall and Unitas Tower.

“The whole experience has been so pleasant,” said incoming first-year student Mary Schook, who was moving into BRH. “The [Belknap Residence Hall] is super nice, my room is much bigger than I thought it would be and everyone I’ve met along the way has been so friendly and so welcoming.” 

Mary’s mother, Nancy, said the pleasant move-in experience calmed some of her parental fears.

“It’s been very easy to move in and everyone is very helpful and I feel comfortable leaving her here,” she said. 

Over at Unitas Tower, Katina Carroll said she broke down in tears a couple of times as she helped her son, Brayden Miller, move onto campus from their home in Corbin.

“It’s pretty emotional. I’m proud of who he is and where he’s going in life, but then again, he’s still my baby,” Carroll said, adding she thinks she’ll probably cry all the way home. “That’s why I brought somebody with me to be able to drive me home, because I don’t know that I can even handle that.”

Other residence halls on Belknap Campus are the suites in Community Park, Kurz Hall, Louisville Hall and Billy Minardi Hall, and apartments in Cardinal Towne, Bettie Johnson, University Pointe and University Tower.

Dozens of Welcome Week activities were planned for incoming first-years and second-years who didn’t get a chance to experience Welcome Week in 2020 due to COVID-19 cancellations. Commuting students and transfer students also have specific activities aimed at getting them settled at UofL.

Just some of the activities include a free welcome-back concert at Cardinal Stadium, the traditional SOUL community service day, a scavenger hunt, yoga and other exercise classes, playtime with puppies, lawn games and late-night ice cream floats.

Natalie Uhl, digital content coordinator in the Office of Communications and Marketing, contributed to this story.