New Residence And Dining Hall 'Officially' Opens At UConn

STORRS, CT — UConn's new Connecticut Hall student residence facility and dining hall officially opened Friday with a ceremony at the facility.

The first residents moved in this semester to the 652-bed residence hall, which is part of the South Campus. Connecticut Hall features suite-style rooms typically housing four people each.

It also has a new state-of-the-art dining facility with views of Mirror Lake.

Connecticut Hall is the first building at UConn that will have a geothermal heating system, and that is expected to go on-line next year.

UConn is also anticipating that the building will achieve LEED Gold Status distinction, a prestigious label recognizing "the project's comprehensive adoption of best practices in sustainability."

Connecticut Hall is home to upper-division students in the UConn Honors Program, the Nursing Learning Community, and the Wellness Community. Its first floor includes a game room, large community living room, and many group workspaces. Each of the seven residential floors includes lounge spaces for students to gather, study, and "spend time together."

Friday's ceremony was hosted by UConn Vice President for Student Life and Enrollment Nathan Fuerst and was attended by representatives of the architects and building contractors responsible for the construction. A number of state lawmakers also attended the event.