VCU advances dorm project to replace Johnson Hall, accommodate growing enrollment

Bryer Haywood, Contributing Writer

The VCU Board of Visitors gave the green light in November to begin construction on a new residence hall on the 700 block of West Grace Street — adding 1,000 beds for VCU’s growing student body. 

VCU has faced housing shortages in recent years following the closure of Johnson Hall in 2021 due to elevated levels of mold. 

Student enrollment has been gradually increasing — with the school having welcomed its second largest freshman class to date in August. 

Some students living in Rhoads Hall have said they feel crammed in their dorms after VCU converted double rooms into triples, and then those same triples into quads, unbeknownst to them ahead of the fall semester, according to a previous report by The CT. 

VCU offered students living in the arrangements a reduced housing rate, and some were placed in overflow housing — lounges converted into dorm rooms. 

Construction on the dorm is expected to begin in spring 2026 and be completed in fall 2028. It will include single, double and semi-suite rooms, a dining venue, two retail spaces, offices and a mail center. 

The dorm is being built on top of the existing Book Holders building and an office space previously used by Student Financial Services.

VCU housing and facilities management representatives previously told The CT the cost to renovate Johnson Hall would be higher than building a new residence hall. Johnson Hall may be used for administrative purposes instead. 

First-year psychology and criminal justice student Jacob Carlson, who lives in an eight-person suite with one toilet, two showers and no desks, does not think the new residence hall will be enough to accommodate the influx of students. 

“As long as we keep seeing this exponential growth in new students accepted, it’ll do little to nothing to mitigate what we’re seeing now,” Carlson said.

First-year mechanical and nuclear engineering student Josiah Fife is one of many students living in Rhoads Hall who were told weeks before the fall semester that an additional student would be added to their dorm rooms — turning triples into quads. 

He said VCU has had an obligation for a long time to create new housing, and pointed at the university’s guaranteed admission policy for students with a high school GPA of 3.5 or above as a possible cause.

“I guess they’re doing what they can,” Fife said.

First-year psychology and criminal justice student Naarah Parker lives in Brandt Hall, and previously told The CT she disagrees with the plan to build a new residence hall instead of revitalizing Johnson Hall. Now, Parker said she thinks the new dorm is good for the community. 

“I think it’s a long time coming,” Parker said. “I’m glad they’re using the money for what students actually need.”