YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK — Yellowstone National Park wants to move and rebuild its youth education campus to expand dorm and classroom space.
The park released an environmental assessment last week that proposes building five dormitories.
The dorms could house up to 140 students. The park also proposes new staff offices and a new dining area for youth educational programs. The park wants to build the campus south of Mammoth Hot Springs on the east side of Grand Loop Road.
Jonathan Shafer, a spokesman for the park, said it is unknown how much the project would cost, The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported.
The park currently has a youth campus near Mammoth Hot Springs. It has classrooms, a dining hall and a dormitory that can house 60 students.
But the park’s report says those facilities there are either too small or are outdated.
The report says the kitchen doesn’t meet standards required of a commercial kitchen and that its freezer and refrigerator have problems. In 2014, the roof buckled. There are also problems with the heating and air conditioning systems.
Xanterra Parks and Resorts used to run horseback trips from the spot where the park wants to build the new campus. A barn and corrals would be torn down. In addition to new dorms, a dining area and offices, the park also wants to build a basketball court and two new staff apartment buildings.
Park officials are seeking public comment on the proposal through Aug. 11.