Morris Hall Lounge North in Beaumont, TX

Construction on the Cardinal Village - Morris Hall Dormitory at Lamar University in Beaumont is complete. The project, filed as Morris Hall Lounge North, involved the renovation and alteration of the existing dormitory structure to construct new lounges. The scope covered 2,190 sq ft of space with an estimated cost of $500,000.

The building passed its final TDLR accessibility inspection in August 2026, confirming that the construction work is finished. This status reflects the completion of the physical alterations required by the registration, which was recorded with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) in July 2025. The project utilized public funds, consistent with its status as a university facility located on public land in Jefferson County.

Project Scope and Cost

The renovation was designed by PDG Architects, a firm with a history of similar institutional projects in Texas. The estimated cost of $500,000 places this project above the median estimated cost of $250,000 for renovation and alteration filings in Jefferson County. The cost per square foot was $228, which is above the county median of $88 per square foot for comparable work. The scheduled build window was 152 days, longer than the county median of 105 days, reflecting the specific requirements of the lounge construction.

Lamar University has six other TDLR-registered projects totaling $3,270,000, indicating a consistent pattern of facility improvements across its campuses. The project was registered in July 2025, with plan review completed in the same month. Construction began in August 2025, and the final inspection passed in August 2026. The TDLR status is now Inspection Complete, closing the regulatory record for this specific alteration.

Local Context

Located in the 77705 ZIP code, the project sits within a community of approximately 37,988 residents, according to U.S. Census ACS 2023 five-year estimates. The median household income in this area is $49,964, and housing is mostly owner-occupied. The Jefferson County unemployment rate was 5.4 percent in August 2026, higher than a year earlier. This renovation contributes to the broader infrastructure of Lamar University, which operates multiple facilities in Beaumont and Baytown.