As construction for a new dormitory building continues, students living in campus housing near the project have expressed concerns about living conditions amidst the construction.

While the university reports it has not received any complaints from faculty or students regarding disturbances caused by construction, those who live in the buildings have cited excessive noise and parking unavailability.

The new dorm building, a 155,000 square foot and six-story building, will add 2,600 beds to the Cal State Fullerton housing community — 390 of those beds being allocated for affordable housing.

Closest in proximity to the construction are buildings Birch, Acacia, Oak, Manzanita and Willow, with the latter being the closest to the development.

Trinity Andrews, a third-year child and adolescent studies major and resident of Willow, shared that her dorm’s resident advisor had asked if the university could do anything to mitigate the effects of construction disturbances.

“These conversations mostly consist of like ‘Is there any way we can lower the housing cost, because it’s a disturbance? Is there any other accommodations that they’re willing to do?'” Andrews said.

A common complaint among dorm residents was the level of noise that construction has caused. Third-year kinesiology majors and Manzanita residents Azariyah Tatum and Shirley Woodard shared that although they had received warnings about noise disturbances, they were surprised by the volume, especially during demolition efforts.

“I get its construction, but it’s usually very early. And when they were first breaking down the buildings that were there, it literally sounded like bombs were going off,” Tatum said.

Second-year psychology major and Oak resident Mariah Villarreal stated that she did not hear a lot of construction noise while living in the suites during the fall semester, but had a different experience upon moving closer to construction.

“My window never fully shuts, so it’s always cracked open,” Villarreal said. “There is a screen, so it’s like nothing can get in, but I can always hear it (the construction) constantly.”

Students expressed that they wished the university would go further than sending out construction reminders and offering quiet study areas during construction hours.

The Housing and Residential Engagement website does not offer explicit support for construction disturbances. It does, however, offer general support via Counseling and Psychological Services, located in Titan Hall and the Cedar Wellness Room — which is also located next to construction for the Engineering and Computer Science Innovation Hub. 

Villareal, a student leader in her dorm, spoke to the housing office’s willingness to meet students’ needs.

“Housing is still trying to prioritize the students while still trying to maintain the level of work that needs to be done,” Villareal said.

Construction on the dorms began in October 2024 and is expected to be completed on schedule by August 2026.

The university’s other construction projects, the Innovation Hub and Landmark Hall, are both expected to be completed by April 2027.