State lawmakers blasted Tennessee State University for last-minute moves to house student overflow during the past year, but the University of Tennessee-Knoxville also put students in hotel rooms and needed approval Monday for a bigger apartment lease.
The State Building Commission’s Executive Committee approved a $6.78 million lease deal for more than 500 apartments at Lakemoor Station about seven miles from the UT-Knoxville campus to meet growth at the state’s flagship university. Enrollment is up to 33,000 total with 27,000 undergraduates.
UT-Knoxville has been paying $3 million a year for 368 beds at a Holiday Inn a similar distance from campus, according to a university official who pointed out the new arrangement in new housing would be “significantly better.” This arrangement eliminates the contract with Holiday Inn.
