A necessary sacrifice: Saying goodbye to FSU campus residence halls

News admin September 20, 2026 0 Comments

A necessary sacrifice: Saying goodbye to FSU campus residence halls

Rejoice, parking spot chasers! A new parking garage is coming to the FSU campus in Summer 2027 through the Northwest Campus project.

The Northwest Housing & Dining project refers to FSU’s plans to modernize the Northwest side of campus by replacing Rogers, McCollum, and Salley halls and, in their place, building a 10-story, 1,200-bed residence hall, a 765-seat dining hall, and a 930-space parking garage.

The new housing and dining facilities are estimated to open in Summer 2028, and the new parking garage is set to open in Summer 2027. That means next Fall semester, hopefully, there won’t be as much trouble finding parking on campus.

Sadly, Rogers, McCollum, and Salley halls will be officially retired in 2028 once the new housing facility opens.

While saying goodbye to these halls is certainly bittersweet due to being living representations of FSU’s legacy, the Northwest Expansion project is a great way to modernize these dorms by creating new housing, dining, and parking for students.

During the FSU Board of Trustees meeting on Aug. 28, FSU announced that it has “the funding secured” for the estimated $365 million project. This makes the Northwest Expansion the most expensive ongoing project FSU has undertaken since the Doak Campbell Stadium renovations in 2025, which totaled $265 million. It also overshadows the 2026 construction of the Herbert Wertheim Center for Business Excellence, which cost $65 million and was received as a donation.

The last time FSU opened a newly constructed housing facility and dining hall was in 2017 with the opening of 1851 and Azalea & Magnolia Halls. The last parking complex constructed and opened was Pensacola Street Garage in 2012, and every FSU student with a car knows just how evident that lack of new parking projects is.

Over the years, these dorms have been monumental institutions of FSU’s campus and have housed tens of thousands of students since their creation.

The destruction and closure of these buildings will mean saying goodbye to a large part of FSU’s history. Roger’s Hall was first opened in 1965, originally to house married students, and was later opened to undergraduates.

McCollum Hall was originally known as “Hall X” when it was first built in 1975 and has received renovations from 2005 to 2011.

The infamous Salley Hall was constructed in 1964 and originally housed the football team. It was also the first dorm to become co-ed, and its latest renovation was completed in 2000. Today, Salley is known for not necessarily being the top choice for dorms, but those who stay there freshman year tend to leave with interesting stories and the title “Salley Survivor.”

It is certainly sad to see these notable pieces of FSU go, and some would say renovating these dorms would be the best step to continue the legacy of these complexes instead of building a new housing facility.

This new construction is set to offer roughly 250 more beds than the 950 beds offered by McCullom, Rogers, and Salley combined. This increase in housing will allow more students to live on campus in brand-new facilities. Not to mention, the inclusion of a new dining hall and parking garage is undoubtedly great for students.

Everyone knows that fighting for a parking spot, especially the first week of school, can feel like a race against the clock game of Tetris. Though, your success or failure in this game determines whether or not you’ll be late to your first class.

Students themselves have called for new parking complexes, creating petitions and how-to guides, and the scramble to secure student housing is also a looming threat in the spring. This new project addresses these student life concerns and more by adding more student dining opportunities.

The Northwest Housing & Dining project marks the end of an era for FSU’s historic northwest dorms, while also beginning a new one.

Although Rogers, McCollum, and Salley halls have been living symbols of the university’s past, the new facilities have the potential to improve upon their legacy and improve the student experience on campus by providing much-needed amenities for students.

While some traditions may be changing, FSU’s heritage of growth and development remains, and the legacy of these three old dorms will live on in the memories of those who lived there. Ultimately, saying goodbye to these historic dorms may be bittersweet, but the Northwest expansion is a necessary investment in the future of the university and its students.

Danielle Triola is an International Relations and Media and Communications Studies major at Florida State University and a Staff Writer for the Views section of the FSView & Florida Flambeau, the student-run, independent online news service for the FSU community. Email our staff at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on FSU News: A necessary sacrifice: Saying goodbye to FSU campus residence halls

Reporting by Danielle Triola, Staff Writer, FSView / FSU News

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This story was originally published September 20, 2026 at 9:01 AM.