SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - With the backdrop of a brilliant blue sky being pieced by a brisk January morning, heavy construction equipment was staged to begin work on a long-awaited new dormitory building at Sacramento State University. Mt. Whitney Hall, as the new dormitory has been named by the student body, which has been years in the making, was starting construction.

On Jan. 30, Sacramento State University President Luke Wood was joined by Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty, City Councilman Eric Guerra and other university dignitaries for a groundbreaking ceremony to herald the beginning of construction on Mt. Whiteny Hall.

“Projects like this are critical to ensure we are serving a growing population of students by providing them with the resources they need to thrive.” Wood said. “We need these beds and many more because Sac State continues to grow. And in fact, yesterday based on the numbers we have right now, we experienced a 3.1% increase in enrollment this academic year.”

Mayor McCarty added his comments, “I had plenty of friends that went to Sac State out of high school but there was not student housing, this was the commuter campus, it’s becoming more of a destination,” McCarty said. “I’m fully in support of that. We know that students that live on campus do better, graduate in four years and they have less student debt.”

Councilmember Eric Guerra, a Sac State alumnus, addressed the crowd on the importance of this housing project as during part of his time as a Sac State student, he had to sleep in his car, Guerra recounted.

The design-build team of Brown Construction and the Gersler Architecture also addressed the crowd of media assembled at the groundbreaking ceremony and explained how they were able to work with the university to expand the original design that featured 285 additional dorm beds to a final design with 335 new dorm beds. The building design also takes care to eliminates blind spots, which can be a public safety risk for students.

Scheduled to be opening fall 2026, Mt. Whitney Hall will offer 335 beds, study rooms, private meeting rooms and outdoor recreational spaces that promote student engagement. The 335 new beds join the existing 2,100 on campus, which accommodate 7% of the student population. The facility’s ground floor will include a recreation room, academic lounge, conference and classroom spaces, gender-inclusive restrooms, a mail room and support staff apartments. 

In addition to student housing rooms, which include 164 single, 75 double and seven triple occupant units, the upper four floors will each include a study area, private telehealth or study rooms, a student computer and TV lounge and a kitchenette. The building’s exterior will feature plenty of shade trees, study space, room for student programs and recreation, a barbecue area and outdoor gaming equipment, such as ping-pong tables.

Sustainability efforts include a wide use of natural light and ventilation, low-emission glazed windows, energy efficient interior and exterior lighting with daytime controls and occupancy sensors. Charging stations for e-bikes and scooters will also be available.

The university received funding from the California Higher Education Student Housing Grant Program that will cover $41 million of the $69 million project. The program helps colleges and universities provide affordable student housing and beds, at no more than 30 to 50% of the area median income. The grant program adds 285 affordable housing beds to campus. Students who qualify for affordable beds may be housed across any of the university's eight residence halls.