California State University, San Marcos has historically been known as a “commuter school.” But that is changing.
Now, after twenty years, construction of its first affordable 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 concrete topping-out ceremony on March 20.
“At Cal State San Marcos, we’re thrilled to continue expanding our on-campus housing options in such a transformational way,” said Dr. Jason Schreiber, the dean of students. “As a university that has long served as mostly a commuter campus in its early years, this growth reflects our deep commitment to increasing access, affordability, and focus on student success.”
He said on-campus housing is expected to increase to 2,550 beds by 2026 and 3,300 beds by 2027, noting that “living on campus helps foster a stronger sense of belonging” and improves academic success.
The school has apartment-style housing, but not traditional dormitory housing on campus, said Paul Pagano, project manager at McCarthy Building Companies. McCarthy, a San Diego construction firm, is the general contractor on the project.
“It’s always been apartments. They’re trying to get rid of the stigma of being a commuter school and providing that true dorm experience,” Pagano said.
The project includes a seven-story student housing building and a two-story dining facility. The building also has 285 dorm rooms totaling 555 beds, a cast-in-place concrete structure, and a plaster exterior, and is expected to house at least 555 students.
The aim of the project is to reduce overall costs for students and help support smart-growth and environmental goals of the university, as well as the city of San Marcos, by reducing student commutes.
The project, which is being constructed on a former parking lot, is expected to be completed in the fall of 2026. It is being funded in part by a $91 million allocation from the state of California.
Updated on Friday, May 2, with comments from Cal State San Marcos.
