Even without Olympics, UMass Boston should still build dorms

http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2015/10/01/even-without-olympics-university-massachusetts-boston-forges-ahead-dorms/HCmdsDlRnu8cyLYZB2rMyK/story.html

Even without Olympics, UMass Boston should still build dorms
By Shirley Leung Globe Staff October 02, 2015

Even without the Olympics, the University of Massachusetts Boston wants more student housing and is forging ahead on a once-controversial plan to build a 1,000-bed dormitory on its Columbia Point campus.

University officials are close to selecting a development team for the $120 million freshman residence hall, which would be built on the edge of campus by Mount Vernon Street. The Boston outpost is the only one within the UMass system without dorms.

With UMass nearly maxed out on its ability to borrow money, officials are seeking a public-private partnership for the project. Last week, the University of Massachusetts Building Authority gave the go-ahead for such a plan, which now heads to the governor’s office for approval.

Under such an arrangement, the university would work with a developer to set up an entity that would construct, finance, and manage the residence hall. The university would then lease the land for the building to the entity, which would collect room and board fees.