The on-again, off-again Phase II of Stockton University’s residential dormitory expansion project finally moved forward Wednesday morning as state and local dignitaries put (ceremonial) shovels in the ground.

The six-story, 135,000-square-foot student residence hall will be built at Atlantic and South Providence avenues, across from O’Donnell Memorial Park. The 416-bed dorm will compliment the 533-bed Boardwalk residence hall and three-story academic building that opened in fall 2018.

The $64 million project is scheduled to be completed by 2023.

Originally scheduled to break ground in March, Phase II was stopped in its tracks by the coronavirus pandemic. As COVID-19 began to impact New Jersey’s finances, $4.6 million in state funding earmarked for Stockton’s expansion was frozen.

Following lengthy budget negotiations in Trenton over the summer, Gov. Phil Murphy released the frozen money and state lawmakers approved the allocation.