Louisiana Tech is investing in building new residence halls and parking by the fall of 2021 as the student body continues to expand.
Louisiana Tech assistant VP for student advancement Dickie Crawford says 600 new beds will be created, along with a thousand new parking spaces in and around the campus.
“On any college campus I think you would find that parking is always an issue for students and even some faculty and staff, and you never seem to have enough parking.”
The new halls will mean Harper, Mitchell, and Cottingham halls will be discontinued by 2021.
Crawford says they’re having to pull off the aggressive expansion to meet the needs of a student body that has experienced significant growth in recent years.
“Last year our incoming freshman class grew by 13 percent, and we are expecting another increase in freshmen this year.”
Crawford says the old halls aren’t unsafe or falling apart, but they are outdated and with interest in the Ruston institution growing, they’re pushing to show a more modern face.
“These are residence halls that were built back in the 50s or 60s, so it was a time to transition to something newer.”
Tech experienced some damage to facilities during the tornado earlier this year, most of which was done to athletic fields and stadiums.
