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University of Idaho announces major housing renovation

This rendering shows what the completed South Hill apartments will look like in Moscow as part of a $162 million building project by the University of Idaho. (Courtesy of University of Idaho)
By Thomas Clouse tomc@spokesman.com(509) 459-5495

The University of Idaho on Thursday announced that its $162 million building project to add new housing on the South Hill of campus will start immediately after it obtained approval from the Idaho Board of Education.

The scope of the work will also include renovation of two undergraduate housing facilities, the Wallace Residential Complex, Theophilus Tower and the Elmwood Apartments.

“Our on-campus housing is an important piece of that value, and our students need and deserve modern living and learning facilities,” Idaho president C. Scott Green said in a news release.

The project will be funded through the sale of long-term bonds.

Utility and street preparations on the South Hill began several months ago. Students living in the affected apartments were notified last spring that while their contracts would not be renewed, they would have the chance to start new contracts in apartments in the unaffected area of the South Hill.

The project will replace 431 beds with 251 single-student beds and 150 “married/parenting” beds.

The new area will also include a commons community center.

The new apartments are scheduled to be open in August 2026.

“It is imperative we provide the high-quality housing that graduate students and families need to continue their educational journey,” Cami McClure, associate vice president for Auxiliary Services, said in the news release. Auxilliary Services oversees university housing.

Renovations of Theophilius Tower and Wallace Complex will be done in phases, with completion scheduled from August 2025 to August 2027.

Theophilus Tower has not had major renovation since it was built in 1969. Wallace Complex was built in 1963 and its last major renovation occurred on portions of the building in 2021.

The South Hill apartments were built in 1970, and several units have already been demolished or taken out of service.

The state board also approved the university’s request to enter into a development agreement with Gilbane Development Co. as the lead contractor for the project, according to the release.