MICA To Add More On-Campus Housing and Improvements

fficials at the Maryland Institute College of Art will break ground this fall on Commons II, a $16.5 million addition that will allow more undergraduates to live on campus. The five-story building will include 62 apartments and accommodate 240 students. It will be an extension of The Commons, which opened on McMechen Street in 1992 with 99 apartments housing 350 freshman. The site is currently a parking lot on North Avenue west of Mount Royal Avenue.

Commons II, designed by Hord Coplan Macht, will also include a performance space, lecture hall and artist studios. Its design attempts to reflect its role as a connector between Bolton Hill and the Station North Arts District. In addition, MICA is planning a $2 million renovation of the existing Commons by late 2013. Ayers Saint Gross will add a laundry center, cafe lounge, mailboxes, a connection to Commons II, and possibly an exhibition space.

When Commons II opens (scheduled for fall of 2013), MICA will have on-campus housing for more than 1,000 students.

Read more at The Baltimore Sun here.