On July 28, 2025, representatives from Samford University presented to the Homewood City Council a plan requesting approval for a new residence hall to be built to the east of Seibert Stadium.
When Jeff Poleshek presented to the City Council, the plan for the housing had 220 bed spaces and 70 parking stalls beneath.
The plan was approved, although, according to Colin Coyne, construction would not start until at least fall or winter of 2026 to open fall of 2028 at the earliest.
“The idea, though, is to make sure you’re staying ahead and making sure that we’re getting the zoning and that sort of approvals,” Coyne said. “So, as we look long term, we’re just making sure that we have the right approvals and zoning and stuff in place, so that if and when we need to do that, would already be in place.”
The plan for this building is in anticipation of university growth. It will likely be a freshman dorm in an effort to continue keeping all freshmen on Central Campus.
“Really good things happen when you have cohesion in your freshman class,” Coyne said.
The rooms in this new stadium housing will likely be apartment style, in a new style of dorm room not offered already in the current residence halls.
This new residence hall will also serve as a gateway into the football field. The entrance to the stadium, as well as retail and concessions, will be on the first level of the building. The rooms looking to the west could have a direct view into Samford football games and practice.
This hall will include some added parking spaces beneath the building, with more around the perimeter of campus.
“Samford is a pedestrian-oriented campus,” Coyne said. “That’s why we invested in the new Brock Plaza. I mean, we could have put parking there, right? But the idea is to make sure that there’s this wonderful pedestrian and natural ethos.”
As Samford plans ahead with this new residence hall, the university has also decided to withdraw zoning applications for the Creekside Development, at least for the moment.
“We withdrew it because at some point, you realize you might be able to win the battle, but you could lose the war,” Coyne said.
Due to community pushback and unease about the project, Samford has paused these plans for the moment and will pick them back up “when the time is right,” according to Coyne.
“What we’re not going to do is come out and ram something down our community’s throat that they don’t want,” Coyne said.
Instead, university administrators hope to engage in community conversation, as well as invite Homewood residents onto Samford’s campus and give a sense of what the Creekside District could look like.
“If people were going to see how nice you do things at Samford, that would give them great confidence across the street,” Coyne said.
Once the new City Council has settled in and Samford is able to engage in more conversations, they will revisit the issue.
“I think when we look at a decision like this, it has to be about the total community,” Coyne said.
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