UCLA planning a 20-story tower as part of student housing expansion

The University of California, Los Angeles, is planning a major redevelopment project at its Westwood campus that would dramatically expand the amount of student housing at the school and add a 20-story tower on Le Conte Avenue.

The tall structure, which would replace an extension building that has been deemed seismically unsafe, is one of many new residential buildings proposed in plans for the campus-wide project published earlier this year. But The Daily Bruin reports that some residents of Westwood are alarmed by the structure’s height.

Westwood Hills Property Owners Association Vice President Carole Magnuson tells the paper that a building of such size would not be “compatible with its surroundings.” The organization settled a lawsuit against the school in 1978 with an agreement regulating new development at the edges of the campus. Plans for the new project note that this agreement may have to be amended to allow for the construction of student housing in at least one area.

The school’s extensive new proposal would allow for development of housing to accommodate nearly 7,000 students in five different sites across the campus. In addition to the 20-story tower on Le Conte, plans call for a total of eight mid-rise structures ranging from eight to ten stories in height.

In addition to the new housing, these structures would provide an array of student resources, including study spaces, cafes, a dining hall, a “makerspace,” and new sports facilities.

Via UCLA Long Range Development Plan Draft EIR

Construction would occur in phases, with all new developments expected to be complete by summer of 2025. School officials will likely want to stick closely to that timeline as the campus prepares to serve as Los Angeles’s 2028 Olympic village. Athletes, coaches, and trainers will all take up temporary residence in student housing during the games.

For more on UCLA’s plans for expansion, check out this detailed breakdown from Urbanize LA.

Correction: A Previous version of this article mistakenly referenced the University of Southern California. All redevelopment mentioned above will occur at the University of California, Los Angeles.

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