UC completes $85 million renovation of key residence hall
UC housing and admissions officials give sneak peek of updated Siddall Hall
The campus view from the top floor of the University of Cincinnati’s Siddall Hall is particularly impressive.
The steeple of Memorial Hall feels almost touchable, while a welcoming Dieterle Vocal Arts Center captures the eye. Nippert Stadium, a campus landmark, and a distant Crosley Tower help create a college aura.
Campus view from the top floor of Siddall Hall. Photo/provided
After 18 months of renovation, Siddall Hall will re-open for UC students in August, offering 500 beds on 12 floors of residence hall space. The 112,000 square-foot residence hall will include new amenities including at ground level 5,000 square feet of fitness space, along with common laundry, common kitchenette and lounge space.
Total cost of the project is $85 million.
Local media got a tour of the residence hall nearing final completion and spoke with Jack Miner, vice provost for enrollment management; Carl Dieso, assistant vice president for housing; and Robert Knarr, capital projects, senior project manager at UC, about Siddall’s new look and feel.
Room setup in the newly renovated Siddall Hall. Photo/provided
Messer Construction installed new mechanical, electrical and plumbing infrastructure as well as new interior and exterior framing, new elevators, updated finishes and a prefabricated mega-panel facade. Messer served as the general contractor and MSA Design as the lead architect on the project.
Renovation on Siddall follows a two-year upgrade to adjacent Calhoun Hall, which re-opened in January 2023.
“We got, quite honestly, the best renovations for what will be two of the best residency halls in the country at an affordable price point,” Carl Dieso, assistant vice president for housing services, told the Business Courier during a media tour through Siddall June 18. “We’ve got fully modern units that are going to be great for the next 50 years.”
Read the full Cincinnati Business Courier story online. (Content may exist behind a paywall; request a copy of the story by emailing cedric.ricks@uc.edu.)
Featured image at top Siddall Hall/provided
A view from a 12th-floor room in Siddall Hall. Photo/provided
Watch a TikTok tour from the Cincinnati Enquirer
@cincyenquirer UC’s Siddall Hall will reopen in the fall. The renovation cost $85 million and will house around 500 students. Take a look inside 👀 #universityofcincinnati #cincinnati #fyp #foryoupage #uc #ucbearcats ♬ Colleges - BrzStudio
Related Stories
UC student gets to design next generation of theme parks
November 3, 2026
UC mechanical engineering student Amelia Leonard used co-op to land engineering experiences with Walt Disney Imagineering and Universal Creative, gaining confidence, industry connections and hands-on experience in theme park design.
UC alumnus Matt Kasee earns 40 Under 40 recognition
November 2, 2026
Matt Kasee, a graduate of the College of Allied Health Sciences, has received the 2026 Cincinnati Business Courier's 40 Under 40 recognition. He credits inspiring mentors and his health sciences education for his success.
UC students unravel AI tendency for sycophancy
November 2, 2026
Generative AI was so agreeable with users that it could be persuaded to repeat outlandish claims like the Earth is flat. The programming’s sycophancy was so strong that it didn't take much pushback to get chatbots and digital assistants to repeat obvious falsehoods, according to University of Cincinnati researchers.