Georgia Gwinnett College broke ground Tuesday on its first dorm, which is expected to be ready for students in the fall of 2010. College officials hope the apartment-style residence hall will help transform the 3-year-old institution from a commuter campus to a more traditional atmosphere.

The first phase will open with about 1,000 beds. Eventually, the $102 million complex will house 2,500 students.

Georgia Gwinnett opened its doors in 2006 in Atlanta's northern suburbs with just 100 students. The college expects nearly 3,000 students to enroll this fall.

It is the state's first public four-year college in more than a century.