Vandal Village Opens in Moscow With 451 Beds for University of Idaho Grad Students and Families

MOSCOW — Vandal Village, the University of Idaho's new graduate and family housing in Moscow, Idaho, is open. University leaders and developers Gilbane Development and Boise-based Rocky Mountain Companies cut the ribbon on Monday, Oct. 26, on the 240-unit, 451-bed apartment community at 1010 Deakin Ave., according to the Idaho Business Review and a Gilbane news release.

What's inside Vandal Village

The 200,000-square-foot complex has two- to four-bedroom apartments. Of the 451 beds, 232 are for graduate students and 219 are for students who are married or raising children, Gilbane said. Every apartment comes furnished with wireless internet, air conditioning, an in-unit washer and dryer, and a full-size kitchen with a dishwasher. The community is pet-friendly.

Residents also share a community center for studying, group work and socializing. The university's campus apartments page calls it The Lodge at Vandal Village, with study spaces, a community lounge, a reservable community room and indoor bike storage. Utilities and high-speed internet are included, and family housing offers flats and multi-level townhomes.

"Our responsibility is to plan for the university's future while delivering improvements students can use today," said Brian Foisy, the university's vice president for the Division of Finance and Administration. "Vandal Village puts that investment into practice, providing furnished apartments for graduate students and families as part of a broader effort to improve campus housing."

"We're proud to have partnered with the University of Idaho to advance their campus housing goals and deliver modern apartments that give graduate students and student families a place that supports how they actually live and study," said Geoff Eisenacher, executive development director at Gilbane Development.

Part of a $135 million campus housing overhaul

Vandal Village is one piece of a $135 million program to renovate and redevelop the South Hill and Elmwood apartments, the Wallace Residence Center and the Theophilus Residence Building. On the Vandal Housing Project site, the new South Hill construction is described with the same 451-bed graduate and family mix. The project timeline shows the Idaho State Board of Education approval in November 2024 and phased renovations at Wallace and Theophilus Tower running from August 2025 to August 2027.

According to the renovations page, the work updates 1,056 beds at Wallace, the university's largest residence hall, and 394 beds in the eleven-story Theophilus Tower, which is also getting air conditioning for year-round use.

Who built it

Gilbane Development and Rocky Mountain Companies were the master developer team, Lydig was the contractor, and Integrus and Design Collective were the architects, according to Gilbane. Rocky Mountain Companies is an Idaho-based firm, and Integrus has worked with the university for decades. University President Scott Green, Gilbane's Jeffrey Resetco, Vice Provost and Dean of Student Affairs Blaine Eckles, and student Abagail Ikari joined the ribbon cutting. The rendering above is from the project's conceptual renderings, which the university notes are subject to change.

Living in Moscow

Moscow is home to Idaho's land-grant university, and new campus housing like this is a big deal for grad students and young families looking at the Palouse. Another recent Moscow opening was Chick-fil-A's new location, and across the state Idaho State is planning 370 beds of student housing on Bartz Field in Pocatello.

Thinking about a move to Moscow? Explore the Moscow city guide, browse new home communities in Moscow and homes for sale in Moscow, or catch up on more Moscow news. Thank you for reading Treasure Idaho.