After careful and thoughtful deliberation, the Board of Regents voted in October 2020 to resume the Ole Avenue Project due to the great need for housing, favorable borrowing rates, and significant rising costs if the project was delayed. The Ole Avenue Project – along with other planned capital projects – were temporarily paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

St. Olaf has been facing a housing shortage for more than three decades, and this challenge has been made even more acute during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this project, the college will be able to address overcrowding and mounting maintenance costs for honor houses while also investing in renovations of existing on-campus housing – ultimately improving the residential experience for all students.

Construction will begin in mid-November.