The fall 2020 school year saw the completion and official opening of two new campus housing options at UNC Wilmington (UNCW). Sandpiper Hall and Pelican Hall are pod-style dorms, like Schwartz Hall and University Suites, and both house 518 first-year students each. 

These new dorms which are located near Graham-Hewlett were started in an effort to replace the University Apartments after their damage due to Hurricane Florence in 2019. 

The construction of these two dorms, which launched in Feb. 2019 are the first two of four new housing projects coming to UNCW, with the last two Loggerhead Hall and Terrapin Hall are ongoing construction.

“It’s been great, everything’s super clean and nice,” wrote Julia Morris, a UNCW freshman living in Sandpiper Hall. “I like that the furniture is new and that there’s a Port City Java in the building.”

These new dorms in addition to Graham-Hewlett and Galloway Hall will be known as the “The Seahawk Quad” which also includes a POD store, Port City Java (PCJ) and a greenspace connecting all the housing. 

“They are similar to our other traditional halls with additional study space, but eventually they will also contain creative centers, or makerspaces,” wrote Peter Groenendyk, UNCW’s director of housing and residence life. “For example, there will be a makerspace pertaining to film studies that will provide students with a green wall and film editing equipment.  Another difference is that the bathrooms are shared but single occupancy. Sandpiper and Pelican halls anchor a new Seahawk Quad that features a connecting path to Chancellor’s Walk.  This new “Hawk Walk,” includes a retail area, outdoor patio seating, classrooms and makerspaces. Each floor also has a study lounge with a glass wall that overlooks the recreation fields or the new Seahawk Quad.”

Morris added that she enjoys and finds the location of these halls to other areas of campus very helpful. Meanwhile, the only aspect she did not like about living in Sandpiper Hall was that the construction of Loggerhead Hall and Terrapin wakes her and her roommate up early every morning.  

“In an effort to support social distancing standards, we extended Move-In from just a few days to sixteen days,” wrote Groenendyk. “This meant opening the buildings to students several days before we had initially planned. As a result, there were a few items that continued to be worked on. I am appreciative of the development and construction team for their flexibility.”

The 2020-2021 yearly housing rates for Pelican Hall and Sandpiper Hall sit at $7,610.00 for a double and $8,560.00 for a single, making them the most expensive housing options currently at UNCW. 

The last two dorms a part of this new housing project, Loggerhead Hall and Terrapin Hall, are set to open fall 2021.

“We are very happy to have had these new homes open on time and to also receive more than half of the new Seahawk quad at the same time,” wrote Groenendyk. “In an effort to keep students safe, UNCW has established various health and safety protocols to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our residence halls. Face coverings are required while entering buildings and in common areas, proper social distancing practices are encouraged. We have also increased the sanitization schedule for high-touch surfaces throughout our residence halls.”