A long-awaited UC Santa Barbara housing project is underway. 

Goleta and Isla Vista residents may have noticed three large cranes on campus for the San Benito housing project, which is set to add 2,224 student beds in seven apartment-style buildings for UCSB undergraduates.

The university is building the apartments instead of the controversial Munger Hall project that would have had 3,500 students in a nine-story residence hall.

The university revised its housing plans after backlash from students, staff and local officials, who were concerned about overcrowding and safety because of the building’s size. Others criticized the building’s lack of windows and natural light.

The California Coastal Commission approved the San Benito project in April. Construction started soon afterward with Webcor Builders, the university’s construction manager and general contractor overseeing the project. 

The San Benito project is the first part of a two-stage plan by the university to add housing for students.

Construction is expected to be finished by fall 2027, and UCSB spokeswoman Kiki Reyes said the project is on schedule.

The development will include studios, two-bedroom units and four-bedroom units in a series of towers with central common areas and a food market as well as other student services. 

San Benito is being built on the northwest corner of campus on a roughly 5-acre site between Mesa Road and Stadium Road, near Harder Stadium and across the road from the campus police department. 

UCSB also will build a Central Utility Plant, change the roadways to the stadium, add bicycle parking, and add pedestrian and bicycle paths.

The second phase of the university’s housing plans includes adding 1,400 beds to an existing housing community, commonly known as the Channel Islands Five, located on the eastern side of campus. 

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