In May 2001, the Department of Residential Life was granted approval by the University of Missouri Board of Curators to proceed with implementation of a comprehensive Residential Life Master Plan (RLMP). The goal of the Master Plan is to upgrade or replace all residence halls at MU. While maintenance within buildings has always been a priority, many residence halls had not seen major renovation since construction. Prior to the Virginia Avenue project, MU's most recently constructed buildings date from the 1960s. The RLMP is being implemented in five phases, each projected to last three to four years.

Phase I projects included the new Virginia Avenue Housing and Dining Facility (2004), which houses 721 students within four new residence halls. The Virginia Avenue complex features a new dining facility and living and learning community support space. Additional Phase I projects addressed Critical Measures improvements within 12 existing residence halls. Critical Measures projects are defined as essential to the preservation of mechanical systems and/or building exteriors-work which is necessary to preserve the useful life of a residence hall until such time as the RLMP phasing schedule allows for full building renovation.

The Plaza 900 dining facility, constructed as part of the Virginia Avenue Housing RLMP project.

Projects associated with Phase II include the 659-bed complex Southwest Campus Housing (2006), a 345-bed residence hall College Avenue Housing (2006), and the 840-bed complex Mid Campus/Defoe-Graham Housing (MCDGH). The Mid Campus project is the final project in Phase II and opens Fall 2009. The project consists of three new residence halls and the renovated Defoe and Graham halls, which are now connected by a link and known as Defoe-Graham Hall. Other Phase II projects include the renovations of Hatch (2007), McDavid (2007), and Schurz and Bingham halls (2008).

Phases III, IV, and V of the RLMP consist of renovations to all remaining residence halls. The phases and order of the renovations are listed in the timeline below.

Careful attention to building capacity and availability of bed spaces is essential to the success of the RLMP. New construction, necessary to create bed capacity, will allow for the successful renovation of some buildings and removal of those deemed unsuitable for renovation. Each phase of the project is reviewed annually, ensuring the viability of the plan. Careful scrutiny and management of all aspects of the RLMP is essential to the success of this multi-phase project.