On Friday, Kaleidoscope sat down with Marc Booker, Executive Director of Housing and Dining, and Nathan Godwin, Director of Student Housing and Dining Facilities, to discuss the upcoming renovations to UAB’s most popular upperclassman dorm: Blount Hall.
Starting this summer and lasting until Fall 2028, Blount Hall will undergo a variety of enhancements, including updates to its roof, windows, kitchen cabinets and countertops, and fire alarm system.
Booker highlighted plans to install a new air conditioning system to improve air quality and humidity levels, some of Blount residents’ chief complaints.
Booker explained that plans for some of these modifications started in 2019.
“…At that time, we had planned these renovations for the kitchens over the next two to three summers.”
The COVID-19 pandemic curtailed those plans, and also cost the university thousands in housing fees, forcing UAB to use the initial funds allotted for renovations to “pay the bills.” Six years later, the number and cost of renovations Blount Hall requires have increased, so the university is shouldering 30% more in expenses.
This project is expected to cost between $22.5 and $22.7 million. The architects, contractors, and subcontractors that work on the project will be chosen through an impartial bidding process and approved by the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees.
Efforts will be made to reduce disruptions to residents during Blount Hall’s renovation. Construction will take place between 9am and 3pm, and walls will be erected to block off and reduce sound from construction zones.
Renovations will also be staggered: 2-bedroom dorms refurbished from Fall 2026 to Spring 2027, and 4-bedroom dorms renovated from Fall 2027 to Spring 2028. Godwin states that more aggressive and louder upgrades will be reserved for Summers 2026-2028.
One of the biggest impacts of this decision for students is the availability of housing for the next two years. Almost a quarter of Blount rooms will be unavailable during the 2026-2027 academic year, and over 75% unavailable from 2027-2028.
This will be a substantial hit to the over 900 people who apply to live in Blount every year. UAB Student Housing and Residence Life informed students of these availability changes through email yesterday afternoon in order to “get ahead of this as much as possible,” according to Booker.
Students planning to live on campus in 2028 and thereafter may also feel the effects of this renovation financially. Rent will be stabilized during renovations, but once these are finished in Fall 2028, future Blount residents can expect to pay 8-15% more. In subsequent years, rent will increase in small increments until the cost of renovation is covered. Booker stated that despite these increases, housing at UAB will still be around 20% cheaper than living off-campus.
“Higher education is a bit of an arms race…you need to have…all the upgrades and things students expect to be competitive in the marketplace,” said Godwin, when told that some students feel there is too much construction on campus.
“But you also have to balance that by making them comfortable while they’re here, so it’s a balance we try to strive for…and we think this move sets us up well to help provide that [balance] moving forward.”
