Southern Miss Holds Grand Opening of Century Park Residential Complex

University of Southern Mississippi officials, state and local dignitaries and students helped cut the ribbon on Wednesday, Oct. 6 at Century Park, the university's newest residential community.

Named in celebration of Southern Miss' centennial, Century Park is an 864-bed, living-learning community for freshman students, including honors college and scholarship recipients. It also houses upper-class females.

The $37.7 million development, the largest in the history of the university, consists of four, four-story buildings in a gated community located on West Fourth Street. Other features include a Learning Center with classrooms and meeting room space, private baths, smart laundry…washers and dryers that send residents a text when their laundry is done, internet speeds of up to one gigabyte and covered bike racks.

“I believe that Century Park really marks the beginning of a new century for this esteemed university,” said Student Government Association President Kasey Mitchell. “The feedback from the students has been great. A residential complex like this really creates a sense of community on campus and allows students to enjoy a fellowship with one another. It truly serves as a home away from home.”

The project, which opened to residents in August, is a continuation of the university's housing master plan dedicated to providing state-of-the-art living communities for the students of Southern Miss. In addition, Century Park is nearing official certification by the U.S. Green Building Council for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, which would make it the first residential community in Mississippi to earn that distinction.

“The opening of Century Park North completes the second phase of the Residence Life Facility Master Plan,” said Sid Gonsoulin, associate vice president for Student Affairs. “The five buildings, including the Student Learning Center, serve as the home and educational core for a vibrant living-learning community.

 “The development has exceeded our expectations both in design and functionality; students and parents have provided numerous compliments to the University for this beautiful, modern and safe facility. This project will have a positive impact on the recruitment and retention of resident students for years to come.”

For more information about Century Park, contact the Department of Residence Life at 601.266.4783 or reslifeFREEMississippi.