Missouri Southern has started planning to add new student housing on campus. The new residence halls will have the capability of housing 200 additional students if the build is approved.

The director of the Physical Plant, Robert Harrington, explains that the new dorms will be unlike anything currently on campus.

“It’s a totally different concept than what we have. It doesn’t look at all like our existing residence halls,” said Harrington. “It looks much more like an apartment village.”

The new building will have a total of 50 units with each of those housing four students. Each unit will have four bedrooms with a bathroom attached to each room.

Units will also feature a shared living room, a full kitchen and include a washer and dryer.

The new complex will be located west of International Drive just north of Newman Road. Part of the parking lot for the justice center would be removed, as well as the sand volleyball pit and old tennis courts.

Before the construction can begin, the University would have to hold a vote on a bond issue to acquire the proper funding.

With the construction on the new buildings and infrastructure updates needed on the current residence halls, the University is looking at an estimated cost of $15 million, according to Harrington.

If everything goes as planned, construction could begin sooner than originally planned.

 “We would start construction in about five to six months and would have it all completed and ready for occupancy for the fall semester of 2015,” said Harrington.