Cabra Hall is expected to be at full capacity for the 2013-2014 academic year as it opens for the first time since the 2011-2012 school year.

Cabra Hall opened its doors to students the first week in August. The residence hall came back online after a yearlong closing that brought many exterior and interior changes to Loyola’s Broadway campus residence hall.

The changes that have been made are the first major renovations on Cabra Hall completed by Loyola since Loyola acquired the property in 1984.

Cabra Hall is now designed to house fewer students than in previous years, but it provides students with more living and social space.

Craig Beebe, director of residential life, said Cabra Hall is in the “punch out stage.” All the major work is completed, but the contractors and cleaning crews are finishing up last minute projects, Beebe said.

The only remains of the old building include the columns and support structure. Interior additions include new walls, floors, ceilings, new plumbing, wiring and electrical work.

A new glass structure was added to the building’s exterior.

Thomas Raymond, director of construction and safety, said the renovation was “the first major overhaul that Loyola has done.”

The biggest difference for Cabra Hall residents will be the floor plans. The new designs have an apartment style community for students,

Students will be welcomed into apartments with two double rooms and two single rooms. In 2011, Cabra Hall housed 213 students, with eight students to a suite. The four rooms were double occupancy rooms. The occupancy number has been decreased to 163.

Also, all of the furniture in the rooms is now moveable, different from the previous layout.

Beebe said he believes these changes will benefit students and add privacy.

“We know that students value their space and their privacy, and we tried finding a balance of offering enough beds so that we can accommodate students, but at the same time by offering more private space as much as we could,” Beebe said.

Cabra Hall will have a complete kitchen with refrigerator, range with oven, microwave, quartz countertops and stainless steel sinks in each suite, Raymond said.

Cabra Hall was renovated to meet LEED standards, so the residence hall is sustainable and energy efficient, Raymond said.

Robert McCoutts, general studies business sophomore, said he believes Cabra Hall will be a nice place to live.

“I definitely have enough privacy throughout my apartment and in the building, ” McCoutts said.

Cabra Hall also added a foosball table into the common area, a fitness room and laundry room.

Lauren Cutuli can be reached at [email protected] 

9/2/13 Correction: The following sentence: Craig Beebe, director of the offices of residential life, said Cabra Hallthe office is in the “punch out stage.” Has been changed to Craig Beebe, director of residential life, said Cabra Hall is in the “punch out stage.” 

Biology junior Moises Perez and Political Science junior Henry Gerbracht enjoy their new Cabra Hall room. Cabra Hall rooms now feature a two single rooms and two double rooms. (Zach Brien/The Maroon)