Renovation underway at 10 West Burke Avenue
Former Marriott hotel will reopen this fall as TU’s newest residence hall
By Kyle Hobstetter on July 1, 2018
For almost a decade, Marriott’s signature red sign loomed over TU’s campus.
Now the once-iconic sign is gone. The university’s contract with Marriott ended on June 30, and the now vacant 15-floor hotel is being transformed into The Residences at 10 West Burke Avenue.
TU Facilities Management began the renovation on July 1, with completion scheduled in time to welcome upper-division transfer students for the fall term. The facility will add 200 beds to campus housing.
Towson University has shifted toward a more residential campus in recent years. With a record freshmen class expected this fall, demand for student housing will increase. However, options for juniors, seniors, transfer and international students have been particularly limited.
The Residences at 10 West Burke Avenue, which TU President Kim Schatzel announced during her Spring 2017 Address, will offer much-needed, in-demand apartment-style housing to upper-division students. The new residence hall will be 100 percent occupied when the term begins.
The addition of The Residences at 10 West Burke Avenue aligns with the TIGER Way presidential priority, which aims to support all students, especially transfer and graduate students, as they launch their studies at TU. The opening will also support TU’s efforts to strengthen connections to the Greater Baltimore area.
“The Residences at 10 West Burke Avenue will strengthen Towson University’s connections to the community and provide much-needed transfer student housing,” said President Schatzel. “The Residences at 10 West Burke Avenue is a most important project for the more than 5,700 students who live on campus, and for the local businesses and community members working with us to create opportunities through the Together Towson initiative.”
Together Towson is a university initiative designed to strengthen and support connections between Towson University and the Towson community. When the Residences at 10 West Burke Avenue opens, students will be closer than ever to the local community while still living on campus.
The initiative, announced during President Schatzel’s Spring 2018 Address, will advance Towson University’s role as an anchor institution in Greater Baltimore. One of the first steps is converting the Marriott hotel into a residential gateway for students.
“In the coming months and years, Together Towson will continue to grow and take many forms,” Schatzel said. “New buildings, housing options, stores and restaurants, and arts and recreation are all examples of projects underway or those that are possible.
“So stay tuned, because there are great things ahead for Together Towson.”
The renovation work at 10 West Burke Avenue will continue through July and August. Along with renovating rooms, TU facilities workers will add university Wi-Fi to the building and convert lower-level areas into offices for Housing and Residence Life staff.
Construction will coincide with maintenance to the pedestrian bridge over Burke Avenue. No road closures are expected, but there could be heavier-than-usual traffic.