A University of South Florida Board of Trustees committee has approved a five-year project to redevelop the Argos complex, the oldest dorms on the Tampa campus.
The redevelopment will more than double its residential capacity from 900 to 2,100 beds. It's expected to be completed in phases between the fall of 2027 and 2029.
The three existing dorms will be replaced by a five- or six-building complex. The estimated cost is $250 million.
During the presentation to board's Finance Committee, anticipated shortfalls for on-campus housing in 2027 were discussed. Newly admitted USF undergraduates have faced troubles securing on-campus housing in the past few years, with hundreds currently on a standby list for a room.
Andy Johnson, USF's housing operations and outreach director, said the Argos dorms — Kosove Apartments, Beta Hall, and Castor Hall — are aging and financially unsustainable. All three were built in the 1960s.
“Just based on their design, some of the renovations that they've had in the past are not financially and long term in our best interest to reinvest," Johnson said. "We want to make sure that we keep our costs as low as possible.”
Johnson said the proposal was similarly influenced by USF’s acceptance into the Association of American Universities (AAU), which is comprised of the country's leading research institutions.
Johnson said USF is working toward having a 25% or greater population of undergraduates living on-campus, which he says is common of AAU member institutions.
“We needed to make sure that we were providing facilities that are of the highest caliber for recruitment and retention that kind of meet the standards of other AAU and preeminent institutions,” Johnson said.
The Argos dorms are the most affordable on campus. According to Johnson, keeping a redeveloped complex affordable aligns with the university’s strategic plan.
“We wanted to make sure that we're providing very attractable and affordable housing within our inventory, recognizing that our residents have come from a variety of different financial backgrounds," Johnson said. "We always consider that this is not our money, right? This is student money. And being good stewards of that resource is always a No. 1 priority for us.”
Johnson said the next step is soliciting bids from designers and builders for construction, as well as gathering feedback from different student groups on campus.
He hopes a design plan will be finalized in the next few months.
