Northeastern University Unveils Plans for 800-Bed Residence Hall

A 20-story, privately operated tower would rise above Burke Street.

Rendering by Cube 3 Architects, Elkus Manfredi Architects

Rendering by Cube 3 Architects, Elkus Manfredi Architects

Northeastern University has announced plans for a 20-story, 800-bed residence hall on Burke Street.

The 230-foot-tall building will feature apartment-style dorms and ground-floor commercial space, as well as a “range of stu­dent ser­vices and amenities, the school said in a release Wednesday. Northeastern will lease the parking lot it owns on Burke Street to Texas-based developer American Campus Communities, who will construct and manage the building. This will be ACC’s first project in Boston.

Northeastern filed a letter of intent with the Boston Redevelopment Authority on December 23. It must next submit an Insti­tu­tional Master Plan notification form, required as part of the city’s review process.

Interestingly, the new residence hall will not be part of Northeastern’s housing lottery system. Because the building will be privately operated, students will enter into leases with ACC, not the university. Kathy Spiegelman, Northeastern’s vice pres­i­dent and chief of campus planning and development, says the new dorm’s leases will be com­pet­i­tive with other apartment-​​style suites on campus.