Suffolk University President Marisa Kelly announced in an email June 26 that the university closed on the purchase of a property set to become an additional residence hall on campus to address the growing housing demands of students.
Kelly said the university plans to convert 101 Tremont Street, an 11-story building home to Beantown Pub across the street from the Granary Burial Ground, into residence halls for 260 to 290 students, pending a permit and review process by the city of Boston. It would be Suffolk’s sixth residence hall.
In the email, Kelly said the decision was informed by a rise in requests for on-campus housing in recent years from undergraduate, graduate and law students, and “record numbers” of undergraduate applicants since 2021.
“This is an opportunity for us to meet that strong student demand while addressing a long-term strategic priority,” Kelly wrote in the email. “Housing some of our students in hotel rooms has been an effective temporary solution to strong housing demand, but adding to University housing capacity through an additional residence hall is a more sustainable long-term solution.”
According to the email, on average 85% of first-year applicants said they intend to live in on-campus housing. The university currently guarantees two years of on-campus housing for incoming students and has been utilizing alternative housing options, such as the Wyndham Hotel beginning in 2016, to accommodate a rapidly growing student population.
The plan also aims to benefit the health of downtown Boston at large. Added student housing will support more Suffolk students living on-campus rather than in the limited number of apartments across Boston, Kelly said.
Suffolk will be working closely with city officials to start renovations on the building in early 2025, Kelly said, with plans to open the new residence hall to students in fall of 2026. Beantown Pub will continue to operate in its current location.
This is an ongoing story and will be updated as more details arise.
