New university housing and dining project taking shape at CSU San Marcos

Construction at CSUSM Courtesy McCarthy Building Companies California State University San Marcos has historically been known as a commuter school But that is changing Now after twenty years construction on its first housing and dining project is well underway CSUSM celebrated the completion of the structural phase of its University Village Housing and Dining project with a topping-out ceremony which marks the placement of the last or highest steel beam on March The school has never had a dorm-type housing on campus reported Paul Pagano project manager at McCarthy Building Companies McCarthy a San Diego construction firm is the general contractor on the project It s invariably been apartments They re trying to get rid of the stigma of being a commuter school and providing that true dorm experience Pagano disclosed I ve been notified here on campus of students sleeping in cars he added The project includes a seven-story pupil housing building and a two-story dining facility The building also has dorm rooms totaling beds a cast-in-place concrete structure and a plaster exterior and is expected to house at least students The aim of the project is to reduce overall costs for students and help assistance smart-growth and environmental goals of the university as well as the city of San Marcos by reducing scholar commutes The project which is being constructed on a former parking lot is expected to be completed in the fall of It is being funded in part by a million allocation from the state of California