PHOTOS: As MSU Denver’s first residence hall rises, students get a sneak peek
Amanda Schwengel
March 27, 2026
Roughly a dozen lucky Metropolitan State University of Denver students, faculty and staff got a sneak preview this month of the building that will be Summit House residence hall.
David McNabb, MSU Denver executive director of Housing and Residence Life, led the tourists, in hard hats and reflective vests, through the construction site, pointing out features like the sustainable mass timber being used in the project.
The 12-story Summit House, MSU Denver’s first on campus student residence, is sprouting on the north end of the Auraria Campus, between Ninth and 11th streets. It will provide 550 beds, a new home for the University’s Classroom to Career Hub, and dining and retail space.
The $117 million project is being built by PCL Construction. It is a partnership between the University and Columbia Ventures, and is being funded by philanthropic gifts and bonds.
From left to right, Carolyn McGary, assistant professor and director of Construction Project Management in the Department of Engineering and Engineering Technology, chats with her students Kimberly DeSantiago and Casandra Chacon during the Summit House construction tour. Photo by Amanda Schwengel
Workers lift a piece of the the mass-timber ceiling at the construction site at the Auraria Campus. Photo by Amanda Schwengel
Executive Director, Housing & Residence Life David McNabb talks with students during the tour. Photo by Amanda Schwengel
A detail shot of the mass timber, which came from Spokane, Washington. Photo by Amanda Schwengel
A worker carries materials on the fourth floor, which will be MSU Denver's new residence hall. Photo by Amanda Schwengel
PCL Lead Superintendent Ryan Marsall points out features of the building. Photo by Amanda Schwengel
The timber ceiling on the fourth floor of Summit House. Photo by Amanda Schwengel
A view of Summit House from 11th Street and Walnut Street. Photo by Amanda Schwengel
A look at the construction progress in February 2026. Photo by Amanda Schwengel
The lot in June 2025 prior to Summit House construction. Photo by Amanda Schwengel
Sixty years ago, an upstart college offered an unprecedented value proposition. More than 112,000 graduates later, the promise of higher education in Colorado is stronger than ever.
