Florida International University (FIU) wants to build a seven-story, 150-room upscale hotel and conference center at the northwest corner of its main campus in Miami, per The Real Deal.

Source: Miami Herald

The university is planning to begin construction of the $59 million project, which is pending approval by the Florida Board of Governors, in March. Plans call for the hotel, along with conference facilities, a restaurant, swimming pool, and gym. An $8 million, 14,000-square-foot alumni center will be located in a separate building. The project is expected to be completed in June 2019.

There are few hotels near FIU’s main campus on Southwest Eighth Street and the Florida Turnpike near Sweetwater and Ken Jessel, senior vice president for finance and administration at FIU, has said in press reports that many of the university’s visitors stay at hotels in Coral Gables.

With 55,000 students, FIU is one of the five largest universities in the nation. Despite that, some studies have questioned the feasibility of an on-campus hotel. Some Florida Board of Governors members have questioned the project because it is not related to research or education.