Construction projects improve infrastructure, housing and more
Renovations to campus buildings are completed or underway, Bell Hall is nearly done and a new residence hall is on the horizon to help meet the needs of our growing campus.
Take a walk around Carolina and you’ll likely notice scaffolding stacked around various buildings and cranes reaching toward the sky. On a campus more than 230 years old, updates need to be made and new buildings added to meet Carolina’s growing needs, increase accessibility and advance the University’s mission.
There are currently multiple projects in progress on campus and more planned for the years ahead.
Current projects
Steven D. Bell Hall
Bell Hall pictured in July. (Finance and Operations)
Construction started: spring 2023
Estimated completion: fall 2025
Bell Hall, named in honor of alumnus Steven D. Bell ’67, will allow Kenan-Flagler to double the size of its undergraduate business program and increase space for classrooms, student life and community interaction. Slated to open to students in January 2026, the building will feature a 40-seat outdoor tiered teaching space, a four-story inner atrium, dining and study areas and meeting and event spaces.
Watch a timelapse of the construction.
The interior of Bell Hall, as seen in July. (Finance and Operations)
Carrington Hall renewal
Carrington Hall’s original west wing was destructed in 2024. (Finance and Operations)
Construction started: spring 2024
Estimated completion: December 2026
A new 110,000-square-foot building will replace the original west wing of Carrington Hall, built in 1969. The state-of-the art facility will enable the UNC School of Nursing to increase class sizes and expand simulation and clinical learning spaces.
Work continues on the construction of the Nursing Education Building. (Aug. 27 screenshot from construction livestream.)
South Building roof replacement
Seen above on Aug. 5, the replacement of South Building’s roof is expected to be completed this fall. (Rob Holliday/UNC-Chapel Hill)
Construction started: summer 2025
Estimated completion: fall 2025
In addition to a roof replacement with new copper panels to help prevent additional water damage and deterioration to the building’s infrastructure, the project will also repair and modify the roof deck and repair the cupola, historic wood, gutters and paint on the 200-plus-year-old South Building. The entire roof footprint is approximately 7,500 square feet.
Completed projects
Bingham Hall renovation
A student walks by Bingham Hall on Aug. 26. (Andrew Lam/UNC-Chapel Hill)
Construction started: summer 2024
Completed: August 2025
The nearly 100-year-old building has undergone a comprehensive renovation designed to balance preservation with modernization. While the building’s exterior brick, windows and roof remain largely original, the interior has been completely reworked to allow for a new floor plan, widened hallways and improved accessibility. All major building systems, including mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection, were replaced, and the building now has central heat and air conditioning. A variety of classroom configurations will provide updated, flexible learning spaces.
Avery Residence Hall renovation
Avery Residence Hall on Aug. 12, days before students moved into the building. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)
Construction started: fall 2024
Completed: August 2025
Built in 1958, Avery Residence Hall’s renovations include HVAC improvements, window replacement and roof repairs. A new elevator tower addition, lounge and community kitchen spaces on each floor will improve accessibility, and two new accessible suites have been added on each of the first through fourth floors. A new outdoor social space has also been added to the back of the building.
Future projects
Odom Village demolition
Project start: fall 2025
Estimated completion: winter 2025
Odum Village was constructed in the early 1960s to provide apartment-style graduate student and family housing. It was not cost-effective to renovate the existing structures to meet current UNC System fire safety standards, and the buildings were closed to students following the 2015-16 academic year. In 2019-20, 19 units were demolished. Demolition of the remaining 23 units will allow for future development in this area of campus.
Robert B. House Undergraduate Library renovation
(Johnny Andrews/UNC-Chapel Hill)
Construction start: December 2025
Estimated completion: fall 2026
To accommodate the move of the Center for Student Success from South Campus to the upper level of the Robert B. House Undergraduate Library, the library will close after final exams in December 2025 to begin construction. Renovations will include improvements and updates to the main and lower levels of the library, expansion of the Media & Design Center and the creation of additional study rooms. During construction, most services and staff of the Undergraduate Library will move temporarily to Davis Library.
New Residence Hall 1
Construction start: summer 2026
Estimated completion: fall 2028
Carolina Housing is in the final stages of developing a comprehensive housing master plan that will include renovations to many of its current residence halls as well as the addition of new buildings. The New Residence Hall 1 will be the first project in a decade-long plan to expand and renew Carolina’s undergraduate and graduate student housing portfolio and enhance student living conditions, with students providing input on features such as improved lighting, larger windows and enhanced bathroom spaces.
The new residence hall will be constructed on the current site of Jackson Hall, which currently houses undergraduate admissions.
