The University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee campus has begun construction on its first student housing complex. The building was approved by the USF Board of Trustees and the State University System’s Board of Governors last year and is scheduled to open in Fall 2024. The six-story building will act as both housing for students and a meeting place for community members. It will house as many as 200 students in 100 square feet. The first two floors of the $45 million building will feature a bookstore, ballroom, dining facilities lounges, meeting space and offices for student organizations. The remaining four floors will be reserved for student residencies of various configurations. According to a press release, the current dining hall will be upgraded into a teaching kitchen for the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. With over 1,000 students, community members are excited for the sense of community to come from the building’s erection. “We’re excited that we will finally have a dedicated student center, just for the students, because education goes beyond the classroom,” said Student Government Gov. Evelyn De Oliviera. “We are honored to have been involved in the planning of the building and to see what the future students will have access to.”