New housing option for USM Gulf Park students
Starting this fall, University of South Mississippi Gulf Park students will have the option to live in a dorm-like setting right behind their university campus.
Friendship Oak Village Property Operations Manager Jan Gaston said, “This is a privately owned student housing facility, but USM has been very supportive of having the student housing facility.” Friendship Oak Village will be offering 61 dorm rooms for students enrolled in the university. Each room will house two students and have a shared bathroom with the unit next door. “It’s a unique place. There is nothing like it here on the Coast.”
The co-ed dorms offer students an apartment like experience. Once the construction is complete, the facility will offer students two lounges, a full laundry room, a pool, a basketball court, and more. The student housing facility will also have the two in-house resident assistants. “The resident assistants are here to support the students, to navigate them through USM and the college experience.”
Nathan Claret, one of the resident assistants, says he is excited about the community like environment that will evolve at Friendship Oak Village. “They can walk down the hall and be friends with the person that’s next door to them.”
Although construction is not one hundred percent complete at the moment, Friendship Oak Village is set to host its open house next month. “August 18th is our tour the village grand opening event. There will be tours of the facility. There will be vendors set up here, food, music.”
Gaston tells News 25 the dorms range from $640 to $670 with utilities included. There are currently still rooms available for the fall semester. RA Ciara Clark said, “They don’t have to move, go to Hattiesburg, to experience college life. They can experience it right here on the Gulf Coast.”
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