The executive committee of the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary’s (NOBTS) trustees has unanimously approved the location of a new student apartment building.
The new building, which will include eight two-bedroom apartments for student families, will be built on Providence Place in an open space near the intersection of Mirabeau Avenue. The location is near many of the other family housing units and the main seminary recreational areas. In October, the full board approved the construction of a new $1.7 million building but did not settle on a location.
Seminary officials identified two potential locations for the new housing — a site near the back of campus and the Providence Place site. The site at the back of campus had long been a part of the seminary master plan; however, administrators believed the Providence Place site could be a better location. A study confirmed the site’s feasibility and was submitted to the trustees for approval. Grace Apartments, will be built debt-free thanks to a donation from a private family foundation based in Louisiana. NOBTS has received approximately $1 million in advance. The foundation will send the remaining funds in early 2012.
NOBTS President Chuck Kelley said the new apartments represent a significant milestone for the seminary. The school lost 92 two-bedroom apartments in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The Oaks Apartments, which were under construction during the storm, added 48 new two-bedroom apartments in 2006 — one year after the storm. Since the completion of The Oaks, the seminary has added 16 additional apartments. The Grace Apartments project will bring the total post-Katrina construction total to 72 new two-bedroom apartments.
Construction will begin Feb. 1 of next year and is scheduled to be complete by Aug. 1 in time for the 2012 fall semester. (BP)
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