Construction has begun on the San Benito Housing project, part of the two-stage plan by UC Santa Barbara to provide additional housing for students. Located between Mesa Road and Stadium Road near Harder Stadium, the plan includes 2,224 beds in an apartment-style building for undergraduate students.

Photo Courtesy of UCSB Housing, Dining and Auxiliary Enterprises

After the California Coastal Commission approved the plan in April, construction companies Webcor Builders, Construction Manager At Risk and a general contractor will oversee the construction. At the beginning of October, the team set utility relocations, site clearance and demolition, according to Housing, Dining & Auxiliary Enterprises Associate Vice Chancellor Willie Brown. The layout of the apartments would include two- and four-bedroom units in a series of seven towers, including central common areas, food markets and student services. 

The $32 million housing project aims to alleviate the housing shortage facing UCSB students as well as comply with increasing enrollment for years to come. This is part of the 2010 Long Range Development Plan, which is set to address “the campus’s critical housing needs and create a vibrant, inclusive, and safe community for students,” according to the UCSB’s Housing, Dining & Auxiliary Enterprises site. 

Since construction began, there have been many detour routes for bicycle paths located by San Clemente Villages and athletic facilities alongside Stadium Road and Harder Stadium. 

While Phase One starts its on-time construction, Phase Two of the housing plan is in preliminary stages. It would include adding 1,400 beds to the southeast end of campus alongside the existing Channel Islands Five, a set of dormitories mainly for first-year students. This plan has been in motion since spring of 2024, and evaluations of the layout have been mapped out around the existing residence halls. The Ortega Dining Commons and Santa Rosa Residence Hall will be demolished, per the proposal. 

A version of this article appeared on p. 4 of the Oct. 23 print edition of the Daily Nexus.