State Approves project, FSU-PC Student Housing Ready By August 2021
PANAMA CITY — The Florida Board of Governors has approved student housing for Florida State University – Panama City.
The approval came last week Thursday. FSU-PC Dean Randy Hanna said it was an exciting moment.
“If everything goes absolutely perfect, and there are not hitches or problems, we could have housing by August 2021,” Hanna said, noting the housing will be available to FSU-PC and Gulf Coast State College students.
The 28,000-square-foot structure will be located at the waterfront side of the university. The structure will include 132 rooms with 400 beds. Drawings of the complex show space for a range of campus-life accommodations, including a pool, gazebo, fire pit, gas barbecue grill and space for hammocks and sand volleyball.
The project is estimated to cost $23 million
“The next step is finding a lease agreement with the developer, which we hope to do in the next couple of weeks,” Hanna said. The developer is North Carolina-based Zimmer Development Company.
Hanna said, pointing to a private-public partnership, the university will lease the property to the developer, “and they will build the facility and they will lease it to students from FSU-PC and Gulf Coast.”
The cost of the project will not have an impact on tuition, Hanna emphasized.
“It will not impact tuition at all,” he said. “We hope to have very affordable rental rate for students with rent starting at $650 per month.”