Groundbreaking ceremonies took place on the Arkansas State University campus to celebrate construction of graduate and undergraduate housing.

Over 500 beds will be located on the east and west sides of the campus. A 167-bed complex for graduate students will be located on the west side of the campus and a 350-bed complex for undergraduate students will be on the east side.

A separate 750-bed facility is being built just off of East Johnson Avenue in Jonesboro. This is part of a public-private partnership with Zimmer Development Company of Wilmington, North Carolina.

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Dr. Rick Stripling says the additional housing will help in recruitment of students to Arkansas State. He also says the beds will be helpful to house the medical students that will come to the NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine. The housing is expected to be complete in the fall of 2017.