mfreter@mavs.coloradomesa.edu

The student body at CMU has grown at an exponential level for the past several years. Last year, the enrollment was 8,130 students. The increased population has led to the construction of several state-of–the-art academic buildings and additional student housing. Starting this fall, CMU will expand campus borders north of Walker Field to include its newest building, the Orchard Avenue Apartments.

The 59,000 square foot apartment complex is now open for students to live in for the fall semester. The structure will hold 192 students in rooms of three or six. The construction crew benefitted from a light winter and was able to be complete it in only a year’s time. According to Dana Nunn, Director of Media Relations at CMU, the new apartments will combine aspects of the other residence halls along with newer amenities to make it distinctive.

“It’s not the first time we’ve had apartments, but it is certainly the newest that we have and unique in some ways,” Nunn said.

Like other dorms on campus, Orchard Avenue is fully wireless and includes free laundry facilities, study rooms, a computer lab, and flat screen televisions in every room. The layout of each apartment is similar to other suite-style rooms on campus, but includes one major difference. Each unit in Orchard Avenue includes its own kitchen area complete with a full-size refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, and microwave. It gives the students that reside in Orchard Avenue apartments the opportunity to choose whether or not to have an on campus meal plan.

The latest addition to student housing may seem like the obvious choice for students living on campus, but it comes with a few requirements. The new apartments are intended for sophomores, but will also be open to juniors and seniors. Even upperclassmen have the chance of being turned away. There is a GPA requirement of 2.5 for any student applying. Nunn explained that because the apartments give students more freedom, they must prove that they are responsible enough to handle it.

“They (Orchard Avenue apartments) offer a little bit more independent living than the other residence halls,” Nunn said. “To my understanding, the idea of the requirements is meant to show that it’s important to have students who are prepared to handle a more independent living situation.”

The apartments have already been filled to capacity with CMU students eager to be the first residents of the newest building on campus, but CMU needs more room for students. Next week, President Foster is breaking the ground for the next dorms to be built across from campus on the corner of Texas and Canell.