While freshmen students are tripling up in double rooms in Belk, Graham and Hewlett dorms, the construction of Phase III continues in an effort to ease tensions for the 2009 school year.

“After we filled the Village and the Landing [this year] we still had 300 people on the waiting list and with the increase of the freshmen class, we know the demand is there,” said Director of Project Management Ed Shuford.

“Seahawk Crossing will add 662 beds to on-campus housing,” said Director of Housing and Residence Life Brad Reid. “It’s first priority will be students who want to stay on campus longer and I assume many will want to because we will have more options for them.”

Predicted to open August 1, 2009, the new buildings will target sophomores as well as juniors and cost about $20 more than the Village and Landing.

“We expect it to be a success,” Shuford said. “The Village and Landing both have been 100 percent full, but the problem with them is that there are only around 100 sophomores living there because they get third choice as signing up is based on class.”

Sophomores and juniors will get first pick in Seahawk Crossing come sign-up time, but will not be closed to seniors.

“We’re hoping this will open up more residence halls for freshmen,” Reid said about first year students not eligible for the new structure.

Seahawk Crossing will consist of four angled apartment buildings made up of private bedrooms, set up in four, six and eight person suites. There will be one kitchen in each suite, one bathroom for every two students, a washer and dryer and a living room.

There will also be a parking deck containing 600 spaces for residents of Seahawk Crossing, 250 spaces for faculty and staff, 100 spaces for commuter students and 50 spots for visitors.

A retail accommodation will be built in front of the deck, consisting of a convenient store and a Dunkin’ Donuts.

While residents will not have a pool, they will be able to use the pools in both the Village and Landing.

In addition, Seahawk Crossing will offer programming space in the form of two meeting rooms that can accommodate 100 people and two game rooms that will include ping pong, foosball and pool tables.

“There will also be a musical piano rehearsal room with sound proof walls,” added Shuford.

While Phase III caused much controversy among students and faculty, Shuford believes the project is for the best.

“Everyone recognized the need [for more housing] but felt that the trees were very important and shouldn’t be cut down,” Shuford said. “But there isn’t another area on campus open that isn’t forested that is big enough to accommodate our plan.”

He added, “I met many times with students who were concerned about the project, and I told them to find me another place on campus that can accommodate this development, and they couldn’t come up with a viable solution.”

Seahawk Crossing will be the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Certified project at UNCW. Sponsored by the Green Building Council, a project must achieve a specified number of points, gained from design considerations such as water saving plumbing fixtures, low energy lighting, use of recycled materials, and high efficiency heating and cooling systems.

“In our case we must achieve 26 points, but we expect to achieve a few more than that,” Shuford said.

Even with its growing popularity, DePaolo assures students and parents that UNCW is working to control its growth in order to maintain the “small school” atmosphere that many students attend for.