Construction of four new residence halls doesn’t begin until June 1, but preparations are well under way.Workers have begun moving utility lines in the circle drive and the grassy area between Frog Fountain and the faculty parking to service the new residence halls and student union, said Harold Leeman, associate director for major projects.

Parking and traffic patterns will not change because of construction during this semester, said Steve McGee, TCU chief of police.

Construction of two north residence halls will begin June 1, Leeman said, with construction of two south residence halls beginning 60 days later.

The north residence halls will open in fall 2007 and the south in spring 2008, Leeman said.

The halls will be in the center of campus, where the faculty, visitor and 30-minute parking lots are now, Leeman said.

All four residence halls will be coed and house only upperclassmen, said Don Mills, vice chancellor for Student Affairs.

The construction budget, which includes landscaping, utilities and building materials, for the residence halls is $42.5 million, Mills said.

The residence halls will all have four floors and between 600 and 625 rooms, depending on whether attic space in the two halls closest to Stadium Drive can be used for single rooms, Leeman said. Most of the rooms in the new residence halls will be suite style, Leeman said. There will be two-, three- and four-bedroom suites. The bedrooms will be adjacent to a bathroom and a common room for students to share, he said.

The Physical Plant is working with a consultant to determine parking and traffic patterns after construction, Leeman said.

Construction of the student union will begin in January, he said.