On Aug. 14, CSUDH’s new Affordable Student Housing and Dining Commons officially reached the midpoint of construction. University leaders and representatives from C.W. Driver, the building’s construction firm, celebrated with a “beam topping” — the ceremonial finishing of the structure’s framework.
The building is one of four major capital projects currently underway on campus. Their groundbreaking took place less than a year ago, and all are slated to open by Fall 2026.
“Taken as a whole, the projects we celebrate today illustrate a campus that has its eyes on the future, even as we strive to overcome the challenges of the day,” said CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham.
“The beam we raise today will carry not only signatures but symbolism. Yes, it is a marker of progress, but it is also a message to future generations: We were here. We believed. We built.
“What we’re building isn’t just steel and concrete. It’s the next chapter in the story of CSUDH.”
Building Details
The Affordable Student Housing and Dining Commons will consist of a four-story residence hall (63,140 square feet) and the university’s first resident-centered dining facility (17,532 square feet). Opening in Fall 2026, the residence hall will accommodate 288 students, providing affordable housing to designated low-income students in order to reduce their cost of attendance and support their academic success.
The three-story, 82,035 square foot Health, Wellness & Recreation Center will open in Fall 2026. It will feature a gymnasium with activity courts and an elevated running track, training and fitness rooms, an outdoor swimming pool, a dance studio, and offices. It will also include a satellite psychological services and mental health center, satellite student health center, healthy eating and nutritional counseling center, and stress-reduction and relaxation room.
The SCE Switchyard and new heat pumps at the university’s central plant will enable increased power on campus. With this $35 million upgrade, CSUDH will reduce greenhouse gas emissions substantially through energy conservation, electrification of heating, and renewable energy. The heat pumps are operational now, with the switchyard opening December 2025. Funding came from state appropriation, deferred maintenance funds, and systemwide revenue bonds.
The new Orthotics and Prosthetics Center will provide a cutting-edge space to educate the next generation of specialists. It will also bring CSUDH’s Orthotics and Prosthetics program back to the Carson campus, as it currently operates in Los Alamitos, Orange County. At 6,561 square feet, the $11 million center’s planned opening is November 2025.
