The Fred D. Brown Jr. Residence Hall, the first residence hall built in forty-five years at UT, will open its doors next week to about 700 undergraduate students.
The residence hall boasts state-of-the-art technology and an environmentally conscious living space. The opening of the new hall will assist UT in accommodating a larger residential population – 7,400 students will live on campus this year.
The 250,000-square-foot building, located at Andy Holt Avenue on the corner of Melrose Avenue, has six floors with 242 two-person standard suites and forty-four four-person deluxe suites. The suites are double-occupancy rooms with a shared bathroom. The deluxe suites are arranged similarly, but connect to a common living room and shared bathroom.
“This new residence hall will be a major enhancement for generations of UT students who value the experience of living on campus,” said Frank Cuevas, assistant vice chancellor for student life and executive director of University Housing.
“The completion of this building puts us one step closer on our journey to the Top 25 by building a more modern facility on site with many amenities that haven’t been seen in other UT residence halls,” he said.
The amenities include two restaurants, Tortilla Fresca and Subway, which offer indoor and outdoor seating; a workout facility; a dedicated art gallery; and a recreation room. Each floor has its own conference room, living area, and Internet lounge, giving students more options for community space. A courtyard provides a unique outdoor space for students.
Construction on the building began in 2012 and cost $59 million, paid through student rental fees.
The new residence hall was named in honor of Fred D. Brown Jr., a longtime staff member who created the Office of Diversity Programs in the College of Engineering. He was the first African American teacher at Oak Ridge High soon after it was integrated and became the first African American member of the Alcoa Board of Education. He is credited with laying the foundation for one of the nation’s most successful college-based diversity recruiting programs.
A formal dedication ceremony will take place October 10.
For more information on University Housing, visit the website.
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C O N T A C T:
Katherine Saxon (865-974-8365, ksaxon@utk.edu)
Lola Alapo (865-974-3993, lalapo@utk.edu