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College to Break Ground on New Housing Complex This Summer

Student housing facility with 124 beds to open fall 2017

By Dillon Tabish
FVCC student housing. Courtesy renderings

Flathead Valley Community College will break ground on its new student housing facility this August with the planned opening in fall 2017.

College officials released the architectural renderings last week for the new development, which will be the first on-campus housing complex and will feature 124 beds, including 50 double units and 24 singles, along with kitchen units. There will also be a common areas and laundry facilities.

The college is investing roughly $10.8 million to construct the new facility, which will be located on the northwest corner of the college’s property along U.S. 93 in Kalispell. The college has not yet determined the rent cost for students.

CTA Architects Engineers designed the preliminary renderings of the housing complex, which will emerge across the highway from the Spring Prairie Phase Four commercial development that will include Hobby Lobby, Mattress Firm and Costa Vida Fresh Mexican Grill, among other future businesses.

FVCC President Jane Karas has said the development will provide new opportunities for students to access safe and affordable housing on campus. The units will be financially self-sustaining and will not impact local taxpayers, school officials said.

“During the past several years, our students and the community continued to express interest in on-campus student housing,” Karas said in December when the project was announced. “We have thoroughly evaluated the need and determined that this will expand opportunities for our students and benefit our community.”

The community college has debated adding student housing in recent years. Previously, FVCC used two apartment buildings, located near Kalispell Regional Medical Center, that are leased from the hospital to the college that offer rooms for 28 students in 16 apartments.