TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — Last May, Linda and Mike Mussallem stood in the sunshine outside a renovated and expanded student union at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology to cut the ribbon on this major campus enhancement. The project would not have been possible without their support: the Mussallems provided the $9 million lead gift for the $25 million project.

The institute recently announced an additional $1.5 million gift from the Mussallems to provide an adjacent pavilion for outdoor dining and gatherings with sliding glass doors around the perimeter and plants on the roof. Situated just a stone’s throw from where the couple helped dedicate Mussallem Union also known as “The Muzz,” the pavilion will provide seating for 40-50 people and be usable nearly year-round, allowing for protection from the elements during cooler months and the ability to enjoy the outdoors via open walls during warmer weather.

The Mussallems’ newest gift will cover design, construction and equipment costs for the free-standing pavilion that will complement the nearby student center and White Chapel. The structure also will have audio-visual equipment for multimedia presentations, including student movie nights and other gatherings. Included in the project will be an outdoor grill for use during student events.

Sustainable green space filled with plants will cover a portion of the building’s roof and will be visible from the second floor of the Mussallem Union. This provides continuity with the large living wall that serves as a featured focal point in The Muzz consisting of potted tropical plants that provides a soothing atmosphere for students in the Hulman Living Room.

“We’re grateful that Linda and Mike continue to share our vision for enhancing the overall student experience,” said Rose-Hulman President Robert A. Coons. “The gleaming new student union has already exceeded all of our expectations for providing students with relaxation and socialization space, and healthy dining options. The place is busy at all hours; students love hanging out there. This new pavilion will extend those benefits and ensure that our students — who work extremely hard — have the spaces they need to unwind and recharge with their friends.”

The pavilion was designed by RATIO Architects of Indianapolis, which also designed the student union project. Construction of the outdoor structure is expected to begin this spring with completion in time for dedication at Rose-Hulman’s homecoming in October.

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MERCED, Calif. — The University of California, Merced recently completed the first phase of its UC Merced 2020 Project, a master-planned campus expansion project at the University of California’s newest campus.

The first three buildings, representing 20 percent of the project, were completed in August 2018 ahead of schedule. They included a 600-seat dining facility, 20 classrooms and 729 new beds of undergraduate student housing. In addition, an NCAA-level soccer field and nearly 1,000 parking spaces were added during the first phase. Ten additional buildings are currently under construction.

When complete in fall 2020, the entire project will have nearly doubled the campus’ physical capacity and will enable enrollment growth to 10,000 students. The four-year project will also nearly double campus size and boost the economy by $1.9 billion in the San Joaquin Valley and $2.4 billion statewide.

“Today we celebrate an investment in the future of UC Merced, the future of the San Joaquin Valley and future of the state of California,” said UC Merced Chancellor Dorothy Leland at the project’s 2016 groundbreaking ceremony. “The Merced 2020 Project brings tremendous economic growth and allows UC Merced to further fulfill its promise to bring interdisciplinary learning and cutting-edge research opportunities to one of our state’s most rapidly growing regions.”

The first of the three buildings that opened in August 2018 was the Pavilion dining hall, a 37,000-square-foot building designed by SOM Architects that seats 600 people and includes three dining rooms and an outdoor terrace that seats 100.

The second building is Glacier Point Student Housing, a164,000-square-foot building designed by Mahlum Architects that will be the tallest building on campus at six stories high. The residential building will include bedrooms with single, double, and triple beds complete with study and social lounges, 10 classrooms, retail space on that ground floor, and three tennis courts located adjacent to the southern courtyard.

The third building is Granite Pass Student Housing, a 100,000-square-foot building designed by Page Architects that will be four stories high and will include bedrooms with single, double, and triple beds, 10 classrooms and student life space, study lounges and social space. The building also includes Little Lake Boardwalk.

The second phase of the project includes two new state-of-the-art buildings with labs, classrooms and additional study areas. The buildings open in fall 2019 and define the edge of a new quadrangle.

By fall 2020, the third phase of the project will be complete, and the campus expansion will have doubled the physical capacity of UC Merced.  It includes expanded student wellness and counseling facilities, additional student housing, a dedicated transit hub for buses, a student enrollment center, and a swimming pool.

The UC Merced 2020 Project has a total construction budget of $1.338 billion with $660 million expended as of August 2018. The project development team of PPM includes Plenary Group as lead developer, equity provider and financial arranger, Webcor Construction LP, as lead contractor, Skidmore Owings & Merrill Inc. as lead campus planner, and Johnson ControlsInc., as lead operations and management firm.

“Plenary Properties Merced is thrilled to be breaking ground on this historic project, which has strong potential to become a model for higher-education design and delivery,” said Dale Bonner, executive chairman of Plenary Concessions. “We look forward to completing this project on time and on budget and continuing our long-term partnership with UC Merced in the years ahead.”

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CARROLLTON, Ga. — West Georgia Technical College (WGTC) is planning a new campus in Carroll County to replace its current 50-year-old facility, provide additional space and expand instructional offerings. The campus will be located on nearly 40 acres of land in the Buffalo Creek Technology Park in Carrollton. Carroll County and the City of Carrollton developed the Tech Park and the Carroll County Development Authority has committed property there for the campus.

“From my first day at West Georgia Tech, people have been talking about a new campus in Carroll County,” said WGTC President Dr. Scott Rule. “We know we need it. Our educational partners know we need it. Our industrial and business partners know we need it. Our students know we need it. The college has been working for years to get to this point, and we are so pleased to announce that, through the generosity of the Carroll County Development Authority, property is committed and we are also working with a $4 million state allocation in this fiscal year to hire architects and project managers for campus construction.”

Rule said the Technical College System of Georgia has requested an additional $49.4 million in next year’s state budget for campus construction. As part of the state budget, these funds will need to be approved by the General Assembly in its 2019 session.

WGTC operates five full-service campuses across seven counties in West Georgia and over 7,100 credit students are enrolled this fall. Carroll County Area Vocational Technical School opened in 1968, making Carrollton one of the original sites for what is now West Georgia Tech. About 1,700 credit students attend class on the Carroll Campus this fall. About 100 additional students are taking GED prep classes there.

Daniel Jackson, president and CEO of Carroll Tomorrow and the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce, said he and his staff have been working with a number of community partners for several years on this project.

“It has taken the cooperation of all our partners to get to this point,” said Jackson. “I think you can look back at 1968 and see the vision of those men and women who knew that technical training was needed if Carroll County were going to grow. And it has grown. It has grown so much that the facility they built in 1968 can’t accommodate the training we need now.”

Local legislators have been instrumental in securing the $4 million in design money this year, and will be crucial to obtaining construction money in future state budgets, said Rule. If construction funds are approved by the General Assembly in 2019, they could be available by August, he said.

“At a minimum, the new campus will include all of the instructional programs offered at our existing Carroll Campus,” said Rule. “The construction budget would support a campus of around 160,000 square feet plus a full commercial truck driving range. The current campus is about 100,000 square feet including all the various buildings on the Newnan Road site. Obviously there are programs we would like to add to better support the businesses and industries in Carroll County.”

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PHOENIX — Creighton University has reached an agreement on the construction of a new, nearly $100 million health sciences campus at Park Central in midtown Phoenix, a significant expansion of the university’s current presence in the state.

The project will be broken into two phases, with phase one to include a new 200,000-square-foot building that will eventually house nearly 800 Creighton health sciences students in Arizona.

The expansion will include a four-year medical school, nursing school, occupational and physical therapy schools, pharmacy school, physician assistant school and emergency medical services program. A second building adjacent to the first may be added in the future.

The new building will be located along Central Avenue on the Park Central property, on land that is currently a parking lot. Construction on the new building will begin in spring 2019, the first on the Park Central site in decades, and is expected to be completed in spring 2021.

Creighton’s new Phoenix campus will meet the University’s current needs while providing ample room for expansion in the future, and the central Phoenix location makes it convenient for students doing their residencies and other studies at nearby hospitals.

“Creighton University is preparing for an exciting new era in Phoenix, one that combines our tradition for educational excellence in the health sciences with our distinctive Jesuit, Catholic mission,” said the Rev. Daniel S. Hendrickson, SJ, PhD, president of Creighton University. “Creighton University has strong connections to the Arizona medical community, and we look forward to expanding our impact by educating many more exceptionally qualified health care professionals to serve the community moving forward.”

The new Creighton University facility is also a significant boost for the revitalization of Park Central. Sharon Harper, president & CEO of Plaza Companies that is redeveloping Park Central in partnership with Holualoa Companies, said Creighton is an ideal fit for the project.

“The new Park Central will have a focus not only on the creation of world-class office, retail and public spaces, but also on a commitment to health and innovation,” said Harper. “Creighton University’s commitment to innovating in health care education makes it a great partner, and we couldn’t be more pleased to have them join the Park Central family.”

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The first step is the construction of three new buildings this summer — the Community Commons, First-Year Residence Hall and Pioneer Career Achievement Center and Alumni Center — that aim to transform the student experience upon their opening in fall of 2020. This initial project is reportedly a $143 million undertaking, with the commons the most costly of the elements.

“In the past 20 years, the University of Denver has invested about $1 billion in facilities and infrastructure,” Chopp said. “We are now investing another $143 million in three student-centered buildings. The Denver Advantage Campus Framework Plan will guide us for the next 20 years as we establish a great college town in the heart of the city — with more retail, affordable and market rate housing, dining options and more sustainable transportation solutions. To do that, we’ll need to continue to engage the campus and our neighbors as we go forward.”

With the DACFP, DU envisions its campus’ future as a vibrant college town in the heart of the larger overall city. The goal is a makeover of its 125-acre campus into a more active community, with more retail, affordable housing and restaurant options, and even the potential development of a hotel on the north side of campus. The university hopes to blur its campus boundaries while being more visitor-friendly to the surrounding neighborhoods and also working with the city of Denver on a number of sustainable transportation alternatives.

The new residence hall will be paid for by room and board charges, while the Community Commons and Career Achievement Center will be covered, at least in part, by philanthropy and partnerships. The university also announced that upon the opening of the buildings in 2020, every undergraduate and graduate student will pay a new fee of $6.50 per credit hour in an effort to help fund the Commons.

Last month, the university launched its pilot bike-share program with 200 bikes, promoting sustainable transportation choices. This July, the university will also launch a pilot program with Chariot Shuttles, which will provide a shuttle service to the DU community with stops at the light rail plus other designated route stops, with plans to hopefully grow the service to neighboring communities in the near future.

While all these changes are exciting for DU, there has been concern over increased traffic.  With that in mind, the university announced that it received approval on adding new pedestrian crosswalks along Evans Avenue – a street that sees more than 12,000 pedestrians daily on average.

While construction begins on three buildings this summer, other projects described in the plan may take up to 20 years to be fully realized.

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