News & Insights
Photo courtesy of: Greg Land
For decades, Metropolitan State University of Denver has been shaped by its commuter identity. Students traditionally zipped in from work or home just for class, rarely lingering once lectures ended.
That narrative is changing. On Sept. 10, MSU Denver broke ground on Summit House, its first university-owned on-campus housing. The 12-story, $115 million residence hall is expected to open in 2027 and will accommodate 550 students. Retail space will occupy the ground floor, while the Classroom to Career Hub, MSU Denver’s centralized career-readiness and academic-support center, will be located on the second floor. The building will sit on a two-acre site at 12th Street and Auraria Parkway, across from Ball Arena, on land that formerly housed the university’s baseball field.
“This milestone project is about more than bricks and mortar,” President Janine Davidson told university magazine Red. “It’s about transforming the student experience and reimagining what it means to be a Roadrunner in the heart of Denver. We’re creating a downtown campus where learning doesn’t end in the classroom; it continues where students live, work and connect.”
Summit Hall is a response to rising living costs in Denver and student demand: surveys show more than 70% of students currently renting or living at home would choose campus housing, and one-third commute over 40 minutes each way.
B&D, serving as owner’s representative on the project, has worked with the university to bring Summit House from concept to reality. Jeff Turner, co-president of B&D’s higher education practice group, described the initiative as a pivotal shift.
“MSU Denver is pursuing an emboldened future where students can live, learn and build their careers in the heart of downtown Denver,” Turner said. “Breaking ground on Summit House was the first step toward this new reality for their students.”
With Summit House taking shape, MSU Denver is redefining itself — offering Roadrunners not just academic space, but a home and community.
