When Missouri State opens its new, long-awaited residence hall in August, there will not be any empty beds.

Teresa Frederick, director of residence life, housing and dining services, said the seven-story, 402-bed hall filled up quickly.

"New things are always exciting and so we've had really good interest," she said. "There is just a lot of excitement to see this project come to completion."

The hall, which has not yet been named, sits on less than an acre at 630 E. Madison St. It includes a four-story parking garage with 285 spaces. The residence hall rooms are on the upper floors.

"There is a lot of great features to this building. We have a dining center on site and a retail unit on site as well so that is really convenient for our students," Frederick said. "Additionally, we've got the parking garage right there."

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Frederick said the new hall is also close to academic buildings. "That could be a factor for some of our students."

There is also a courtyard area with turf and patio-style furniture.

The project is the result of a public-private partnership between the university and Bryan Student Housing LLC.

The initial contract was from spring 2018 when years of steady enrollment growth at the university had nearly maxed out on-campus housing options.

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The local company agreed to design and construct the traditional residence hall, which includes single-user private restrooms. Initially, the plan was for the building to be leased and operated by the university upon completion.

The company agreed to design and construct the residence hall along the west edge of the campus. Over the years, the contract was amended multiple times and the project was delayed due to weather and the global pandemic, which disrupted the supply chain, workforce and the economy.

The most recent contract calls for the company to have the property appraised when it is completed this summer. Rather than leasing, the university has stated it plans to buy the property. It will not pay more than $24 million.

Matt Morris, vice president for administrative services at MSU, said he recently walked through the building. 

"We are getting down towards the deadline and so there are lots of punch-list items and we'll continue to work with Bryan Properties to make sure it meets our expectations," he said. "And then we'll have a closing where we purchase that facility."

Previously:Pandemic delays opening of Missouri State University's new residence hall by a year

The project manager, Bruce Colony, provides a written update on the project each week. The most recent updates states finishing touches are being completed on the upper floors.

The installation of metal siding is 85 percent, the courtyard turf is 95 percent complete, and plumbing fixtures and millwork are 75 percent complete.

The next big items on the list include sidewalks, drive lanes and landscaping.

Claudette Riley is the education reporter for the News-Leader. Email news tips to criley@news-leader.com.