Construction activities began Friday at the site of Alumni Memorial Residence I on the Homewood campus, readying the area for a new residence hall and dining facility.
AMR I, built in 1923, will be razed to make way for a new building, which will accommodate twice as many first-year students as the current residence hall. The project, expected to be completed by the end of 2028, represents a significant step in addressing the university's undergraduate housing needs.
This project builds on recently completed infrastructure upgrades that are helping modernize campus utilities and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Earlier this spring, a new hot water distribution line was completed, advancing the university's broader sustainability and decarbonization goals outlined in the Johns Hopkins Climate Action and Sustainability Plan. The new residence hall and dining facility—targeting a LEED Gold Certification—will connect to this upgraded system, which will support more efficient, lower-carbon operations. In addition to hot water heating, the project will include an almost entirely electric dining hall and facilities designed to make recycling and composting easier for students and staff.
Its design and amenities have been informed by feedback received across several student engagement sessions beginning in 2024. Close to 100 students and RAs joined architectural brainstorming and strategy sessions and contributed ideas related to branding, lounge spaces, and food options.
McCoy Hall, Wolman Hall, AMR II, AMR III, and The Academy will accommodate undergraduate students while the new building is being constructed.
The project will ramp up as updates to the nearby Milton S. Eisenhower Library near their conclusion. The Eisenhower Library, which opened in 1964, is in the midst of the first large-scale modernization in its history, which began in the summer of 2024. In addition to needed updates to the building's health, safety, and mechanical systems, the project includes the construction of a grand staircase connecting five levels, with an overhead skylight bringing natural light to the subterranean levels. The library is expected to reopen during the spring 2027 semester.
