HOT SPRINGS -- National Park College's new $10.5 million on-campus residence hall is scheduled to open in the summer of 2025, according to a report given at Wednesday's monthly college board of trustees meeting.
The 42,000-square-foot Redbud Hall will be constructed on the site of the college's current maintenance facilities next to Dogwood Hall on the west end of campus.
The residence hall will have 176 beds. With those plus the ones at Dogwood Hall -- which opened in fall 2020 -- the college will be able to provide 386 beds for students.
"On-campus student housing is a critical need for students," college Vice President for Administration Kelli Embry said in her building and campus development report. "We were full in 2021. We increased our number of beds in 2022 (from 180) to 210, and in 2023, it was 240. We continue to have more of a demand than we have beds to fill. So we're excited that we're finally seeing progress of moving forward with Redbud Hall."
The college has been working on a plan to increase student housing since 2022. A bond sale last fall provided the funding needed to begin construction.
The maintenance team recently moved out of its facility to allow for the construction to begin.
"Trenching has begun. Of course, the weather, these last two weeks, has impacted that a little bit, but we don't see any reason why the weather or anything is going to slow down progress once we get going," Embry said.
Once the 176 beds are opened up, she said Dogwood Hall would go back to having 210 beds, which was the number in 2022.
"The reason we're keeping it at 210 is because we're going to keep 30 of those beds in triples," she said. "What we didn't know, whenever we first opened Dogwood that we've learned, is there's a lot of students who really need the triple rooms. So we opted to include some in Redbud and also retain some in Dogwood."
Though originally scheduled to open last fall, the project was delayed in early 2022. NPC's initial approval to move forward with the predevelopment agreement included cost estimations of up to $13 million. Embry said at the time, the figure rose to $17 million in two weeks due to escalating interest rates and increased construction costs.
Buffalo Builders, based out of Little Rock and Springdale, won the bid to construct the project at a cost not to exceed $10.5 million.
NPC President John Hogan, who will retire this summer, said he appreciates the board for supporting the project and "continuing NPC's investment in student success as our highest priority."
"Expanding our capacity for on-campus housing was an easy decision to make," he said. "It was what our students needed and affirms that their voices have been heard."
Embry said it is exciting to begin work on NPC's second residence hall.
"This is a critical need for students and we're just so grateful to our partners, Servitas, for their support on this project and their leadership."
Servitas, a nationwide off- and on-campus student housing developer, also worked on the 52,000-square-foot Dogwood Hall.
A groundbreaking ceremony will be scheduled for early spring following removal of the maintenance structures and further excavation work. Embry said more information will come as the date approaches.
The National Park College Board of Trustees discuss progress on the new Redbud Hall while in the Ray and Pat Smith Conference Room at the Gerald Fisher Campus Center. (The Sentinel-Record/Lance Brownfield)