UC Santa Barbara is preparing to build a larger residential community.
UC Santa Barbara is preparing to build a larger residential community. Credit: Courtesy rendering

It’s out with the old and in with the new at UC Santa Barbara as the campus prepares to demolish existing housing and rebuild a larger residential community. 

The UC Regents, the governing board for the UC system, recently approved designs and a budget for a new East Campus housing project that would provide 1,688 beds for students on campus. 

The project will demolish the existing Santa Rosa Residential Hall to be replaced with a new hall with 412 replacement beds and three new apartment buildings with 1,276 new beds. 

“This project will enhance the main campus community and provide students new options for quality housing that is integrated in academic activities and a rich campus life,” UCSB Chancellor Dennis Assanis said at the UC Regents meeting on Nov. 19. 

The project is part of UCSB’s goal to add 3,500 new beds on campus under its 2010 Long Range Development Plan. 

Ortega Dining Commons, on-campus dining services, also will be renovated so it can serve more students. Temporary dining takeout facilities will be open during construction, according to a statement from the university.

Construction is set to start in summer 2026 with the buildings set to open in fall 2028. However, the project still has to be reviewed by the California Coastal Commission. 

The UC Regents, the governing board for the UC system, recently approved designs and a budget for a new East Campus housing project that would provide 1,688 beds for students on campus.
The UC Regents, the governing board for the UC system, recently approved designs and a budget for a new East Campus housing project that would provide 1,688 beds for students on campus. Credit: Courtesy rendering

Josh Rohmer, UCSB’s director of capital and physical planning, said they will turn multiple residential rooms into triples to accommodate the students displaced during construction.

Assanis shared that since the 2010 Long Range Development Plan was developed, enrollment has increased from 20,000 students to 25,000, but not enough new beds have been created for the growing student population.

“Many students face challenges to find appropriate housing in the local market, where the vacancy is just above 2% and rental rates for new apartments exceed $1,400 per month per bed,” Assanis said.

The new beds will be rented at 20% below market rate of similar units near campus, Assanis said. 

The Regents approved a $566 million budget for preliminary plans, working drawings, construction, and equipment. Funding is coming from higher education student housing grant funds, external financing supported by state general funds for the higher education student housing grant program, and other external financing, according to the UC Regents report.

The project is part of UCSB’s goal to add 3,500 new beds on campus as part of its 2010 Long Range Development Plan.
The project is part of UCSB’s goal to add 3,500 new beds on campus as part of its 2010 Long Range Development Plan. Credit: Courtesy rendering

The university is also working on the San Benito Housing Project, which will add 2,224 student beds in seven apartment-style buildings for UCSB undergraduates.

The university is building the new apartments and residential halls 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.

Construction on San Benito began last summer and is expected to be completed by fall 2027. 

— Noozhawk staff writer Rebecca Caraway can be reached at rcaraway@noozhawk.com.