The Arizona Board of Regents approved plans to build two new residence halls and renovate Hopi Residence Hall in its meeting Thursday.

The new dormitories and the renovation will add 1,063 beds of on-campus housing, which has struggled to accommodate growing freshman classes. Residence Life has turned away approximately 300 students over the past three years because of a lack of vacancy, according to ABOR documents.

“”We are only going to grow,”” said UA President Robert Shelton. “”It is essential for us to build more residence halls, and I think it’s very important to offer every incoming student residence halls. If you want to come and have a residential experience and learn in every sense of the word, that is the way to get started.””

The new residence halls will be located at the northeast corner of Sixth Street and North Euclid Avenue and at the northeast corner of Sixth Street and Highland Avenue.

Construction is slated to begin late in the fall semester, said Joel Valdez, UA senior vice president for business affairs.

Regents also approved a $5.06 million increase in the budget of the Student Recreation Center expansion project, to $27.56 million.

The budget was increased because of recent changes in the financial market that were favorable, Valdez said.

“”We estimated a 6-7 percent interest rate but were able to sell bonds for 4.4 percent,”” Valdez said. “”We were able to borrow more, so more of the items that we cut were put back.””

The new budget will allow for the 11,000-square-foot multipurpose athletic court that was previously in doubt, and also a new space for Outdoor Adventures.

The project will be funded by the sale of system revenue bonds and the $25 student fee imposed each semester, Valdez said.

Rec Center construction is expected to begin in the fall, pending the sale of additional system revenue bonds, he said.

– Kelly Lewis