Renovating the Game Changer

South Campus Housing Spurred UTC Growth

Nearly 25 years ago, visionaries looked both ways and crossed the street. It was a decision that changed the landscape of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Back in the mid-to-late 1990s, UTC was known as a 9-to-5, Monday-to-Friday commuter school. With only a handful of residential housing options, the campus was a virtual ghost town every weekend.

The University didn’t seem ripe for any sort of expansion. Directly west of campus sat downtown Chattanooga. To the north, the Tennessee River and a trio of cemeteries. To the east, the historic Fort Wood neighborhood.

But on the south side of McCallie Avenue, just across from the University, was a declining neighborhood. Future-thinking UTC leaders envisioned an opportunity for growth by crossing McCallie and— after pitching the idea to the University of Chattanooga Foundation—buying land to build student housing.

Thanks to philanthropy, generous donations from the Foundation allowed for the construction of the Scott L. Probasco Jr. South Campus—a 1,668-bed, five-apartment student housing complex.

The investment and collaborative risk taken by the UC Foundation and UTC changed the trajectory of the institution.

Building the South Campus complex was a game changer, literally and figuratively growing the University. The substantial upgrade in campus housing options became an effective recruitment tool, increasing enrollment. Just as important, it became a focal point in changing the culture, transforming UTC from commuter school to a lively, seven-day-a-week campus.

Besides expanding housing for out-of-town students, most notably from the Memphis and Nashville metropolitan areas, UTC became an institution of choice for local students who wanted to live on campus and get the total college experience.

The largest housing complex on the UTC campus, South Campus is the landmark distinction between the University and the M.L. King neighborhood. The complex is comprised of five buildings: Guerry, Decosimo, Stophel, Walker and UC Foundation apartments. The three- and four-story structures provide apartment-style living in a range of floor plan configurations.

UTC enrollment has gone up by approximately one-third since opening the five South Campus residential apartment complexes from 2001 to 2004. The buildings comprise nearly 47% of today’s UTC on-campus bed spaces.

Stophel Apartments, outside

Beginning in the summer of 2019, the UC Foundation engaged in a major renovation project on the Probasco South Campus housing complex. By the start of the 2021-2022 academic year, two of the five buildings— Guerry and Decosimo—and the top two floors of Stophel (the largest building, housing 158 apartments) had been fully renovated internally and externally. Currently, 230 of the 455 South Campus Housing Complex apartments are fully renovated; all exterior surfaces have been repaired, caulked, sealed and painted, while the roofs of three of the five buildings have been replaced.

The lower two floors of Stophel will be renovated in 2022. Walker is scheduled for the summer of 2023, followed by UC Foundation in the summer of 2024.

The renovations should give another 15 to 20 years of life to the buildings. The total renovation project is expected to span six years with a cost of $44.6 million. The cost has been updated to include complete rehab of building elevators and assessment of parking garages.

Campus Development Foundation, Inc., a subsidiary of the UC Foundation, owns Probasco South Campus. UTC Housing and Residence Life manage the property via a management agreement with the UC Foundation.