USC Breaks Ground On A $650 Million Campus 'Village'

The University of Southern California just broke ground on a $650 million retail and housing complex for students, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The complex will replace the university's current University Village with a 15-acre complex near the north side of campus.

The new Village will be designed in a "Collegiate Gothic" style by Harley Ellis Devereaux, and will consist of a central plaza with outdoor dining, shops, cafes, a market, and residence halls.

The university held a groundbreaking ceremony yesterday, and construction is expected to be completed in fall 2017.

Harley Ellis DevereauxOther cool amenities will include a fingerprint-scanning elevator in the residence halls, nine private courtyards, a statue of Grecian queen Hecuba (in conjunction with USC's Trojan mascot), and a 30,000-square-foot fitness center.

This will be the biggest single development project in the history of USC.