After decades of leaving the freshman quad mostly untouched, Johns Hopkins University is officially shaking up the Homewood landscape. Construction has begun at the site of Alumni Memorial Residence I, the 1923-era dorm that is set to come down to make way for a new four-story residence hall and a much larger dining facility. The combined project is expected to house about 400 first-year students and is slated to wrap by the end of 2028.
Project Specs And Timeline
The university's Facilities & Real Estate office says the new residence hall will provide roughly 120,000 square feet of living space for about 400 first-year students, while the adjacent dining facility will add about 41,000 square feet of food service and seating. The dining hall is planned to offer around 500 seats and multiple dining concepts to spread out mealtime crowds and give students more options, according to Johns Hopkins Facilities & Real Estate.
Design work for the project kicked off in early 2025, with construction scheduled to begin in May 2026. The university has the rollout staggered through 2028, with residential and dining components coming online in phases rather than all at once, per Johns Hopkins Facilities & Real Estate.
Construction Begins This Week
The quiet around AMR I did not last. Construction activity at the site “began Friday,” the university's Hub reported, as crews moved in to prep the parcel and remove existing infrastructure ahead of demolishing the 1920s building. The work marks the first major housing-and-dining build around the freshman quad in decades.
Earlier utility upgrades are already in place to support the new complex. A new hot-water distribution line, completed this spring, will tie into the residence and dining facilities as part of the campus sustainability push, according to The Hub.
Design And Student Input
VMDO Architects, the firm behind the project, is leaning into Homewood's Georgian-inspired campus look while trying to open up more social and community space inside. VMDO lists the combined residence-and-dining project at about 161,000 square feet, blending traditional brick-and-quad vibes with updated interiors.
Student voices factored into the plans. Campus outreach and engagement sessions helped shape features such as lounges, dining choices, and accessibility improvements, according to VMDO.
Temporary Housing And Local Impact
The university says McCoy Hall, Wolman Hall, AMR II, and AMR III, along with nearby off-campus housing, will absorb undergraduates during the build, according to The Hub.
For North Charles Street, this is one more piece in a broader student-life makeover. Local coverage has placed the AMR I replacement alongside a string of recent big-ticket projects, including the $250 million Student Center and the ongoing Milton S. Eisenhower Library renovation, as reported by Baltimore Fishbowl.
More Information
Neighbors, students, and anyone keeping an eye on construction can find timelines, logistics, and a contact email on the university's project page. The public record, including updates as the work progresses, is posted through Johns Hopkins Facilities & Real Estate.
