The Merrimack College campus’ decades-long transformation from farmlands to an innovative and modern hub of higher learning continues with the construction of two new residence halls that the campus community officially kicked off with a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, Sept. 20.
More than 150 people, including members of the Merrimack College Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, students and partner organizations working on the project, gathered outside the Collegiate Church of Christ the Teacher to celebrate this next campus transformation that represents the vibrant future Merrimack is building together.
“These new residence halls are more than just buildings, they are a symbol of our ongoing commitment to the well-being and success of our students,” said Merrimack College President Christopher E. Hopey, Ph.D. “They will not only provide comfortable and modern living spaces but also areas where students can gather, collaborate, learn and thrive as part of our broader campus family.”
Construction began at the corner of Rte. 114 and Andover Street over the summer. The two buildings will add 540 on-campus beds, the most significant increase to the College’s on-campus housing stock in almost a decade. One building will have traditional dorm rooms and the other will have suite-style rooms. The project also features 12,609 square feet of new academic space, a pavilion for honors students and a fitness center.
A key aspect of the project is that both the front of the Collegiate Church of Christ the Teacher and the statue of Christ the Teacher will remain visible and accessible from the corner of the streets, ensuring a seamless merging of Merrimack’s future and beginnings.
Members of Merrimack’s state legislative delegation were on hand for the groundbreaking, including State Rep. Adrianne Ramos who read a citation from the Massachusetts House of Representatives to mark the occasion, and State Sen. Bruce Tarr.
“This building will be a home to so many students and more importantly, it will be a crucible to learning and the realization of students’ dreams and the advancement of this institution,” Tarr said. “Because when these shovels go in the ground, it will recognize investments, it will bring a modern feel to this campus, it will welcome more students and it will certainly be an asset not only to the surrounding communities, but also to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”
The College is partnering with Greystar Development and Collegiate Housing Foundation on the development of the project through a Public-Private Partnership (P3), which allows for greater private participation in the delivery of projects.
“Greystar and Merrimack’s P3 public-private partnership will utilize tax-exempt bonds issued by MassDevelopment to finance 100 percent of the project costs,” explained Gary Kerr, senior managing director of development for Greystar. “Successful navigation of this unique and essential capital structure was made possible by focused collaboration between many parties.”
The project is slated to be completed in fall 2026.
“More than anything else, this project represents that Merrimack is not interested in sitting still,” President Hopey said. “In a more and more challenging environment in higher education, we are not interested in letting external forces shape our future. This project represents one of many strategies we are implementing to secure our future.”
