The University of Houston-Victoria is leasing the Regency Inn & Suites for the next two years and will rename it Jaguar Court. It will serve as the university’s second residence hall.

 

 

Jaguar Court, the University of Houston-Victoria’s second residence hall, will open in August after the university announced on Thursday that it would enter into a two-year lease agreement with the Regency Inn & Suites.

 

UHV is leasing the motel, located at 2605 Houston Highway, to house UHV freshmen and some sophomores after the success of the 2010-2011 school year, when the university accepted underclassmen for the first time and attracted 218 freshmen to Victoria in addition to sophomores.

 

“Freshman admission numbers for the fall are running ahead of projections, and Jaguar Hall will not have sufficient capacity to house them,” UHV Interim President Don Smith said. “This lease agreement provides sufficient beds quickly. It also helps fulfill our goal of becoming a destination university by providing rooms while more university housing is being constructed.”

 

Jaguar Court, located about 100 yards southwest of Jaguar Hall, contains 102 rooms and will house 170 students. Accommodations include 34 single rooms, 56 doubles and eight three-student rooms, each with its own bathroom. Four of the single rooms will house resident assistants.

 

Wayne Beran, UHV vice president for administration and finance, said Jaguar Court will offer safe, comfortable housing located about a 10-minute walk from campus.

 

“There will be a lounge and a computer lab at Jaguar Court, and students will be able to eat in the dining room and access the university offices and classrooms that are in Jaguar Hall,” he said.

 

Jaguar Court also is being remodeled to meet the needs of students.

 

“We will refurbish sinks and tubs if needed, bring in all new furniture, and add a fire-alarm system, outside emergency lighting and wiring for wireless Internet cable and connectivity with Jaguar Hall,” Beran said. “This will be a very nice place for college students to live.”

 

Apartment occupancy is high in Victoria, and Beran said students will find Jaguar Court a good alternative to renting an apartment.

 

Chari Norgard, associate vice president for student affairs, said adding residential options for students is all part of UHV’s goal of becoming a destination university.

 

“We are continuing to provide more opportunities for students to reside on or near campus,” Norgard said. “As we build the university, we will enhance the residential community that is such an important part of the student experience.”

 

Norgard said as of Wednesday, 2,005 freshmen have applied for admission to UHV in the fall, and 813 have been accepted. The university also has received 269 sophomore applications, of which 149 have been accepted. It is unknown how many of those accepted will actually attend UHV.

 

The university also is working with Woolson Real Estate to help students find housing for the fall. Beran expects Woolson to place about 80 students in six apartment complexes it leases within walking distance to UHV.

 

Beran added that UHV still plans to add an additional residence facility in the lot west of Jaguar Hall. The new residence hall, Jaguar Suites, is in the planning phase and will offer apartment-style living for sophomores. That building is expected to open in fall 2013.

 

For more information about Jaguar Court, call 361-485-4404 or email housing@uhv.edu.