Emmanuel College’s 691-Bed New Julie Hall Gains BRA Approval

The 19-story dorm will replace the school's first student residence, built in 1958.

Rendering by Elkus Manfredi Architects, via Boston Redevelopment Authority

Rendering by Elkus Manfredi Architects, via Boston Redevelopment Authority

Emmanuel College got the green light to replace its oldest student residence with a sleek, $125 million tower.

The Boston Redevelopment Authority voted last Thursday to approve the 19-story, 691-bed New Julie Hall, which will replace the existing 220-bed Julie Hall. It will include a cafe serving prepared foods, as well as 102 covered bicycle spaces and 15 underground parking spaces. Ground floor space will be used for student activities, with additional function space on the top floor.

In its letter to the BRA, Emmanuel College said the project, designed by Boston’s Elkus Manfredi Architects, will not only contribute 471 new beds to the student housing crunch, bringing Emmanuel’s percentage of students living on-campus from 73 to 84, but also “improve the character and quality of Brookline Avenue by introducing interior spaces that display activity through a significant amount of transparent façade area.”

A portion of New Julie Hall will be leased to a “third party institutional tenant for student housing.” The existing, four-story Julie Hall was Emmanuel’s first student residence, built in 1958 during a period of rapid expansion for the coed Roman Catholic liberal arts college.