COLLEGE TOWN, FL — Florida State University is planning a $374 million expansion project to add 1,200 new beds, a dining hall, and a parking garage for students.
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Students at Florida State University say finding a place to live can be stressful and expensive, but a major expansion is in the works.
The Northwest Campus Project is a $374 million investment focused largely on adding more student housing. The university is currently working with the Division of Bond Finance and the Board of Governors to secure external financing for the first phase of the project.
Right now, plans include 1,200 new beds. The university hopes to have more than 8,000 total beds by 2030.
The project also includes a 765-seat dining hall and a parking garage with almost 1,000 new spaces.
"If we had more housing and more parking, it would take a lot of stress off incoming students. I know that barrier to entry here might be knowing that you aren’t guaranteed freshman housing," Sadie Martin said.
Students say more parking is especially important to them.
"In my time here, in order to get to class on time, I have to park very, very far from my class, and then the walk is about 20 or 30 minutes if I want to be on time. And I’ve sent plenty of emails saying, 'Oh, I’m sorry I can’t come to class today. I can’t find parking.' That’s definitely not a rare thing. So if we had more parking and more dorms, it would mean a lot," Martin said.
FSU freshman Austin Kolman believes having more dorms will help build community on campus down the road.
"It would be amazing. I think you get more kids that actually live on campus versus finding housing off-campus. Housing off-campus can be really expensive, depending on where you at, and I think it’ll be a lot easier to get more kids," Kolman said.
"Definitely help me get a community. I’m from Tallahassee, but I still want to live on campus to get a new community and living in a dorm. I have a couple of great friends that I’ve met in there that I would never have met if it weren't for living in those dorms, so I would love to see more dorms be available for more kids have the same experience, just as I did," Kolman said.
Construction is expected to begin in Spring 2026, but students may not see the housing open until Fall 2028.
For students currently searching for housing, that timeline means the pressure isn’t going away anytime soon.
University officials say the project is part of a long-term plan to meet growing demand.
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