University of South Florida welcomes new students to "The Village"

TAMPA (FOX 13) - The University of South Florida starts the fall semester with several big announcements.

Move-in day begins Thursday, when USF will welcome 850 students to two new residence halls, with three more halls in the complex expected to open by Fall 2018.

First-year students and other undergraduates will move into the two six-story facilities Thursday, named Beacon and Summit Halls.  They both provide a variety of suite-style and traditional rooms.

In addition, the university is unveiling a new dining facility, named “The Hub.” It features nearly 500 indoor and outdoor seats, a coffee shop and registered dietitian on-site to provide free nutritional counseling for meal-plan holders.

The university is also opening a new wellness center named, “The Fit.” It's a state-of-the-art, 19,000-square-foot facility offering cardio and weight training equipment, an outdoor swimming pool and other amenities.

The new buildings are all part of what the university is calling, “The Village.” It's the largest student housing complex ever approved by the Florida Board of Governors, which oversees the public universities within the state.

Three more residence halls are expected to open in Fall 2018 bringing the total number of students living in “The Village” to nearly 2,000 and increasing the student housing capacity at USF to about 6,500 beds.

Campus-wide, more than 3,000 students will move into 36 residence hall beginning on Thursday. The first day of classes is August 21.