Merrimack College Student Housing Tops Out 540-Bed Campus Expansion

Merrimack College, in partnership with Greystar, CUBE 3, and H+O Structural Engineering, has topped out two new student housing buildings at its North Andover campus.

Together, the projects add 540 new beds and 12,600 square feet of academic and student-life space at the corner of Route 114 and Andover Street. Both residence halls topped out in summer 2025 and remain on track for completion in fall 2026.

Expanding On-Campus Student Housing

Enrollment growth at Merrimack has been steady, with 73 percent of students living on campus, including 85 percent of first-year undergraduates. This development marks the first major campus housing expansion since North Village opened in 2015, positioning the college to meet rising demand while reducing reliance on off-campus housing.

By bringing more students into the campus core, Merrimack strengthens its residential community and enhances the overall student experience.

Student Housing Design and Structural System

The two residence halls combine traditional dormitory living and suite-style student housing layouts:

• Building 1: 79,600 square feet, 351 beds, with academic and gathering space on the ground floor.
• Building 2: 61,300 square feet, 189 suite-style beds, with private bathrooms and lounges.

Shared amenities include a fitness center, laundry facilities, honors pavilion, and communal lounges. Both structures maintain clear sightlines to the Collegiate Church of Christ the Teacher, preserving one of Merrimack’s defining campus views.

Both buildings employ a wood-over-concrete-podium structural system, separating parking and service functions below from residential levels above; a cost-efficient, durable model for modern student housing construction. Groundbreaking occurred in fall 2024, with structural completion achieved in summer 2025, just 11 months later.

Public-Private Partnership Delivery Model

Development is being executed through a public-private partnership (P3) structure:

• Developer / Operator: Greystar
• Financing: Tax-exempt bonds issued by MassDevelopment, underwritten by Stifel
• Ownership: Affiliate of the Collegiate Housing Foundation under a long-term land lease with Merrimack College

This delivery method enables Merrimack to expand campus housing without adding institutional debt while leveraging private-sector speed, efficiency, and lifecycle management.

Impact and Forward Outlook

Once complete, the new residence halls will deliver modern, community-focused student housing and reinforce Merrimack’s commitment to a residential campus environment. The design and delivery approach demonstrates how wood-over-podium construction and P3 delivery models can help institutions meet rising housing demand faster and more cost-effectively.

Across higher education, the challenge is clear: deliver more housing, faster, without eroding budgets. H+O’s data-driven process measures structure cost, captures quantifiable savings, and turns design decisions into financial advantage, helping campuses grow efficiently and sustainably.