Heralding that Samford University’s “best days are yet to come,” President Beck A. Taylor joined dignitaries at the ribbon-cutting for two upper division residence halls that will add a combined 140 beds on the west side of campus.
Primarily allocated for Greek student chapters, the new halls represent the latest achievement in the $300 million investment comprising the first phase of Samford Horizons. The visionary response to 16 consecutive years of record-breaking enrollment moves Samford closer to the administration’s goal for 75% of students to reside on campus.
“The university has invested nearly $300 million to sustain and enrich the on-campus experience for our students and employees,” Taylor said. “We are grateful to all who worked and gave, imagined and planned; to all who invested heart and mind, toil and sweat, to make today possible.”
Through an extraordinary emphasis on residential undergraduate education, the strategic plan is charting Samford’s course to be the school of choice among national comprehensive, Christ-centered universities.
“We recognize that a key to our faithful future is improving and expanding our campus home,” said Karon O. Bowdre, chair of the Samford University Board of Trustees. “Samford Horizons addresses infrastructure needs for the entire campus, increases energy efficiency, practices campus-wide conservation, and refreshes and renews every facility—all steps toward creating a sustainable future for generations of Samford students.”
Phase I of Samford Horizons has produced a monumental campus makeover:
- Redesigned and renovated Samford University’s dining hall—the Caf— with a $10 million investment in 2023, creating an award-winning fellowship food hall.
- Constructed the 165,000-square-foot Campus, Recreation, Wellness and Athletics Complex, an $85 million investment that opened in 2024.
- Creating a new first-year student residential complex—scheduled to open in August—featuring two halls named for Audrey Lattimore Gaston and Marvin L. Mann. The halls will add a combined 513 beds.
- Relieving parking congestion by constructing a 550-stall parking deck on the north boundary of campus. The deck will open for fall semester.
“This is a big moment for Samford,” said newly elected SGA president Caleb John. “These new spaces aren’t only buildings—they’re a reminder of how deeply this university believes in the value of community. For many students involved in Greek Life, these halls will be more than just a place to live. They’ll be where we build friendships, where late-night conversations about faith and leadership happen, and where we grow into the people we’re called to be.”
The plaza between the new residence halls is being named the Bill and Kimeran Stevens Plaza. It honors a half-century of service, dedication and contributions by the Stevens, who first enrolled as freshmen in the late 1960s.
“This is a big moment for Samford. These new spaces aren’t only buildings—they’re a reminder of how deeply this university believes in the value of community." — SGA president Caleb John
Clint Coulter, director of Greek Life, described the new facilities as crucial for students to live more fully into the university’s mission.
“Greek Life at Samford is built on the pillars of scholarship, leadership, service and faith,” Coulter said. “We are especially grateful to Bill and Kimeran Stevens for their generosity and for sharing our vision. This plaza will be a place where friendships are formed, memories are made, and the spirit of community thrives.”
Davis Architects, which has guided Samford’s campus design since the 1950s, was once again at the forefront of highlighting a timeless Georgian-Colonial aesthetic. Samford consulted with a world-class group of advisors for the project, including Landmark Development, Johnson Controls and Robins and Morton.
