Longwood University celebrated the grand opening of its two newest residence halls on Friday. Sharp and Register halls complete what is now known as the Arc Quad.

According to a press release, the $16.5 million project began in early summer 2015 and was completed this fall.

The four-story buildings are named for Marc Sharp and Wilma Register Sharp, who gave a gift of $2 million in September 2015 to endow the deanship of the Cormier Honors College for Citizen Scholars.

The pair spoke at the opening Friday, fondly recalling their years as students at the university. Register Sharp recalled living in what was a new dormitory in 1963, Wheeler Hall. Both she and Sharp recognized the importance of supporting the school and giving back to it.

President W. Taylor Reveley IV said these are the first new on-campus residence halls at Longwood in more than 25 years. Reveley called the opening the final prong of a “trifecta” for the Sharp couple, as the pair celebrated their 50th reunion last spring, participated in October’s Vice Presidential Debate festivities and, now, the debut of the buildings named for them.

The two buildings are mirror images and feature suite-style rooms with capacity for two individuals per room and four per suite.

Each floor has a lounge area and a kitchenette with stove, microwave, oven and sink. There are common dining spaces and laundry rooms as well.

Each building can house a maximum of 112 students, has air-conditioning and elevators.

Some students moved into the buildings with the start of the fall semester, while others have been moving into the buildings during recent weeks, according to the press release.