University of South Florida - Sarasota-Manatee
07/31/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/31/2024 05:18
Ribbon cutting for USF Sarasota Manatee's first ever residence hall is Aug. 6
Ribbon cutting for USF Sarasota-Manatee's first-ever residence hall is Aug. 6
- July 31, 2024
- Campus News, Events, Students
By Marc R. Masferrer, University Communications and Marketing
University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee will celebrate the opening of its new Student Center and Atala Residence Hall with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6. Attendees will be able to tour parts of the building after the ceremony.
USF President Rhea Law, Sarasota-Manatee Regional Chancellor Karen Holbrook, Vice Chancellor Brett Kemker, Campus Board Chair Rick Piccolo and Student Governor Spence Gerber, are all expected to speak about the importance of the new building to students and its role in the continuing transformation of the Sarasota-Manatee campus and its impact on the local community. The ceremony will take place in the student center's ballroom.
The six-story, 100,000-square-foot building marks the first major expansion of the Sarasota-Manatee campus since it opened at its current location on U.S. 41 across from Sarasota Bradenton International Airport in 2006.
Atala Hall will be home to 200 students when it opens on Aug. 23.
The student center on the first two floors is comprised of the ballroom, a bookstore, dining facilities, a game room, and study lounges, as well as offices and meeting rooms for USF World, student government and other student organizations.
Atala Hall, on the top four floors of the building, is the campus's first residence hall.
On Aug. 23, 200 students will start moving into suites and apartments of various configurations, many offering views of Sarasota Bay, the airport and the surrounding area.
The residence hall is named after the atala, a rare tropical butterfly that frequents the campus's landscaping. Law and Holbrook selected "Atala Hall," after respondents to a campuswide survey voted overwhelmingly for the name.
Construction of the approximately $43 million building, located on the south end of the campus between Seagate Drive and the campus courtyard, started in spring 2023. The general contractor is CORE Construction, a Texas-based company with offices in Sarasota.
To RSVP for the ceremony, click here.