Cal Poly Humboldt continues construction of new dorm buildings

By Andres Felix Romero

Among the gravel, milling construction workers and a small fleet of construction vehicles lies potential for the largest housing project in Cal Poly Humboldt’s history. Currently, the Craftsman Mall dorm buildings and complex lack the color it will have upon completion. One half of the dorms, called Hinarr Hu Moulik — pronounced hee-NOD huh MOO-leek, meaning “Our Home” in the Wiyot language — will be completed and ready for students to move in by the fall semester. As for the other building, major construction, painting and furnishing will be completed in the fall. The building will be ready for students to move in by Spring 2026. 

The dual dorms are among the largest buildings at the university. Each one sits at about the height of the Behavioral Sciences building, which itself stands at five stories tall. The buildings are also being constructed with A-1 materials, which are composed of non-combustible substances. Upon completion of construction, there will be plenty of outdoor space and features including an acre of green space and small hills rolling between the dual dorms, with plenty of outdoor seating. Along with the outdoor space there will be activities, such as basketball hoops, a pickleball court, a ping pong table and a cornhole setup.

As for the inside of the dorms, there will also be recreational options with a multipurpose room for lounging and other events, including a foosball table. The multipurpose room will also have wall-height glass doors that open to the grassy hills for more space. In terms of dining, Craftsman Mall will have a large professional kitchen staffed with cooks to prepare hot and ready meals, as well as meals to order for the campus community. In the same area will be a market similar to The Marketplace for snacks and essentials.

The living dorms themselves will be able to host 1,050 students in apartment-style dorms. Each suite will have four to six residents. The apartments have a modern feel with wood-laminate finish furniture, black leather and green cloth seats, and a dishwasher. These dorms will be reserved for upperclassmen.

There will be a few options for travel between the main campus and the dual dorms. The City of Arcata and Cal Poly Humboldt have partnered to develop the Annie Marie trail, a pathway that leads to Sunset Avenue. The university and the city of Arcata have also been allotted funds to reconstruct the Sunset Ave. overpass to make it safer for cyclists and pedestrians.

Those with bicycles will have access to a lot area with 200 spaces that is essentially a giant cage to protect their wheels from theft. The campus’ Green and Gold bus route will also have a stop here, alongside a dedicated shuttle between Craftsman Mall and the main campus that runs every 30 minutes.

One of the leads on this project from Cal Poly Humboldt is Vice President of Finance and Humboldt State alumnus Mike Fisher. Fisher understands the dorm life of a Lumberjack as he lived in the Sunset dorms. He also understands the hesitation the new Craftsman Mall residents may have living a bit of distance from campus, but Fisher hopes that these new dorms can begin a new chapter of Lumberjack residents.

“I know this place will be a community unto itself,” said Fisher. “It will feel like you’re on campus, but also independent.”

Andres Felix Romero is a senior and reporter for The Lumberjack. He is passionate about writing to improve the world around him and can often be found hiking in the woods with his dog, Uichu.