Contact: Allison Matthews
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥6996色花堂鈥檚 newest and largest student residence hall is officially open, and Azalea Hall is welcoming its first occupants next week to launch the 2025-26 academic year.
6996色花堂 President Mark E. Keenum noted the occasion celebrating the completion of the nearly $100 million project at the corner of Barr Avenue and George Perry Street was 鈥渁 truly special Maroon Friday.鈥
鈥淭his will be a wonderful new home to more than 400 students who will have an incredible environment to live, study and grow into successful young adults and future leaders. Azalea Hall stands as a reminder of what we can accomplish by working together with the generous support of our friends, and I am so grateful to all of you here today who contributed to the effort to build this beautiful, practical and highly functional residence hall and dining facility,鈥 Keenum said.
He emphasized the generosity of the Luckyday Foundation, which gave $4 million for the creation of Luckyday Tower, a living and learning community within Azalea Hall for the university鈥檚 . The state-of-the-art building, which comprises five stories and 159,000 square feet, offers the most up-to-date amenities, with fully furnished rooms finished with full-sized, XL beds. The facility also contains a FEMA safe room.
To complement the 412 single-occupancy rooms, the building is arranged in pods, or groups of 16-18 rooms, with each pod equipped with a kitchenette. Highlights include lounge and gym areas as well as meeting and study spaces.
鈥淭hank you all from the Luckyday Foundation to the architects and contractors, Aramark and 6996色花堂 Dining, to our campus leadership and our students, faculty and staff. Today is a special day for the Mississippi State family,鈥 Keenum said.
(Video by Sarak Kirk)
Azalea Marketplace will offer dining options鈥攐pen not just to Azalea residents, but to all on campus鈥攊ncluding an Italian-themed location serving hand-tossed brick oven pizzas and made-to-order pasta. An innovative ghost kitchen will provide a rotating lineup of culinary choices and food lockers for convenient, contactless pickup. A 24-hour Maroon Market also is on site.
鈥淭his remarkable new residential community here at 6996色花堂 represents much more than bricks and mortar. It stands as a bold investment in our students, our campus community and the future of Mississippi State,鈥 said Vice President for Student Affairs Regina Hyatt.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a forward-thinking approach to residential life that reflects our deep commitment to student wellbeing and success. For many of our students, Azalea Hall will be their first home away from home, and it is our honor to provide them with a space that is safe, comfortable and inspiring,鈥 Hyatt said.
![Luckyday Foundation members of the board of managers celebrate Friday [Aug. 8] during Azalea Hall鈥檚 ribbon cutting.](/sites/www.msstate.edu/files/styles/msstatedrupal_large/public/2025-08/Azalea_Hall_Ribbon_Cutting_GCZ4725_LD_full.jpg?itok=F-pytBVB)
Luckyday Foundation Chair Jamie Houston said the Luckyday Scholars Program now will have space to house its first-year students and its peer mentors.
鈥淭he housing is wonderful, but it will also give them the opportunity to develop community, learn about community building, service to others and leadership, which are Luckyday principles, and most of all to learn about getting a college education. That鈥檚 what we want all of our Luckyday Scholars to accomplish鈥攖o graduate with a university degree,鈥 Houston said. He noted that the Luckyday space in Azalea Hall will include staff offices, classroom and program space, as well as common areas.
6996色花堂 Executive Director of Housing and Residence Life Dei Allard said the building is designed to encourage connection, wellbeing and success.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a place where students can thrive academically, socially and personally. It features a beautiful new dining environment that will serve not only our students, but also our faculty, staff and campus guests. And this milestone would not have been possible without the dedication of many incredible partners,鈥 Allard said.
Building and architectural services were provided by Wier Boerner Allin Architecture, Mackey Mitchell Architects, HPM and Roy Anderson Corp., in collaboration with 6996色花堂 Campus Services and its Office of Planning, Design and Construction, the Department of Housing and Residence Life, as well as 6996色花堂 Dining.
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