Emory University will build new housing dedicated to graduate and professional students, allowing them to live within a 15-minute walk or less to all graduate programs. The Graduate and Professional Student Housing Initiative will improve the student experience, offer competitively priced housing and foster a stronger and more vibrant community for graduate and professional students.
The project will be developed in two phases along Haygood Drive, North Decatur Road and Ridgewood Drive. Emory expects to break ground on phase one in fall 2022, with student occupancy beginning in fall 2024. The second phase will begin after the first is finished and the entire project is scheduled to be completed by 2027. When complete, the project will increase Emory’s supply of available graduate student housing by providing 1,000 beds in a mix of micro-studio, studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units.
The project supports Emory’s mission and strategic framework by promoting Emory as an academic community of choice, says Robin Morey, vice president and chief planning officer for Campus Services.
“This housing initiative fulfills a key need identified through Emory’s master planning process – the desire for graduate and professional student housing close to the university’s academic programs,” says Morey. “This project will make Emory more attractive to prospective students and enhance their experience by providing dedicated space on campus for graduate and professional students.”
In addition to providing more graduate student housing, the design includes a Graduate Commons to support group and independent study and the site will include a coffee shop and exercise room.
The project is being developed based on feedback from graduate students, faculty and administrators. Graduate and professional students said they want housing close to campus, according to the results of focus group sessions and a survey from fall 2020.
Emory chose the housing site to support students’ preference to bike or walk to campus. The university has been working for several years with the PATH Foundation on safe off-road multi-use trails around campus, including trails that connect the planned housing complex to schools, libraries and labs located in the core of campus. The Cliff shuttle will also serve the site.
The project will include a 275-space structured parking deck for students who want to pay a premium to park near their apartment or students can park at existing Emory parking decks on campus. However, since this site was chosen in response to students’ preference for a pedestrian lifestyle, the expectation is many students who used to commute to campus will no longer need to drive.
Some apartments will come furnished and the mix of designs will allow students to select housing based on their preferred size and cost.
Emory Master Planning will hold a town hall meeting for students, faculty and staff about the housing initiative during the fall semester and will continue to provide updates as the project develops.