Stephen F. Austin State University opened its Registered Nurse facility in Rusk, Texas, in January of 2009. Located at Rusk State Hospital, the facility will enable junior and senior students to complete a bachelor’s degree in nursing.
Syracuse University’s $35.6 million Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems is slated for completion in summer of 2009. The five-story, 55,000-sf facility will support research, development, and job creation in the fields of indoor environmental quality, renewable energy, and water resource management. The Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems is created in partnership with Clarkson University, Cornell University, SUNY-ESF Center for Sustainable and Clean Energy, and state and industry partners.
Columbia Gorge Community College opened its $8 million health and science building in The Dalles, Ore., in fall of 2008. The 35,000-sf facility houses four science labs, 11 technology-rich classrooms, an amphitheater, offices for the nursing program, student services, and administration.
Binghamton University will begin construction in early 2009 on $36 million science building in Vestal, N.Y. The 65,000-sf Science V will house research laboratories and instructional space for the departments of psychology and biological sciences. Completion is slated for spring of 2011. Binghamton University will also begin building a $66 million, two-story engineering building at the Innovative Technologies Complex in February of 2009.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is expanding its animal research and storage facilities in White Cross, N.C. An animal storage building and a well and water treatment plant is slated for completion in early 2009. The University is also planning to construct additional storage, research, and treatment facilities at the Research Resources Facility site for dogs, pigs, rodents, and sheep.
Florida Atlantic University is initiating a $44 million renovation of Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in Fort Pierce. The project includes construction of a marine mammal hospital and 30,000-sf of laboratory space and extensive renovation and replacement of existing facilities. The project will accommodate environmental, biomedical, and water quality research.
The University of Michigan will purchase Pfizer’s 174-acre campus in Ann Arbor. Housing 1.97 million gsf in 30 buildings, the site will provide 1.3 million sf of research space and 420,000 sf of office space. The $108 million acquisition will enable the University of Michigan to expand its research operations in biomedical science. Occupancy will begin in late 2009.
The Wistar Institute opened a $1.1 million molecular screening facility on its Philadelphia campus in December of 2008. The facility was created in partnership with the University of the Sciences as the centerpiece of the Center for Chemical Biology and Translational Medicine. Using advanced screening technologies, scientists will be able to identify and characterize new molecules and compounds to create therapeutic drugs.
Griffith University is building a national climate change adaption research facility on its Gold Coast City campus in Queensland, Australia. Slated for completion in 2010, the sustainably-designed project has been awarded $59 million in federal funding. An $18 million water research facility will also be built in partnership with the Queensland Government and the Gold Coast City Council.
Virginia Tech is building the $24 million Institute for Critical Technologies & Applied Science (ICTAS) Phase II in Blacksburg, Va. The three-story, 43,000-gsf facility will house specialized labs for applied and fundamental research in bioengineering, biomaterials,and bio-nanotechnology. The project will accommodate the development of communications and sensor technologies and includes offices and support spaces. Virginia Tech is also constructing the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) Facility Addition.
The University of Rhode Island (URI) is building the $60 million Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences in Kingston. The 140,000-sf facility broke ground in March 2007 and is slated for completion in 2009. The architect for the facility is Payette Associates of Boston with Providence-based Gilbane Building Co. as construction manager. The project includes classrooms, laboratories, faculty offices, a business incubator, a 300-seat auditorium, and support areas for DNA sequencing.
Over 50 higher education leaders petitioned President-elect Barack Obama to allocate $40 billion for college and university construction projects in December of 2008. The proposal recommends that federal funds be allocated to states on the basis of population and administered by state governors. Eligible projects would need to be ready to break ground within 180 days and schools would contribute 20 percent of the total cost.
The University of Nevada School of Medicine is constructing the Center for Molecular Medicine in Reno. Designed by Dekker/Perich/Sabatini, the 100,000-sf project broke ground in March 2007 and is expected to reach completion in 2009. The facility will accommodate basic science research in microbiology, pharmacology, and physiology. The project will include a vivarium, research laboratories, offices, two meeting rooms, and an auditorium.
Valparaiso University will dedicate the $74 million Harre Union in January of 2009 in Valparaiso, Ind. The facility is nearly four times the size of the University’s existing student union and is the largest construction project in the institution’s history. Housing the University Book Center, the Career Center, and the Office of Multicultural Programs, the project includes the main student dining room, ballroom, café, lounges, and offices for student organizations. Construction of Harre Union began in fall of 2006.
Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s new campus in Cloverdale, BC, Canada, attained LEED Gold sustainable design certification in December of 2008. Designed by Bunting Coady Architects of Vancouver, the 185,139-sf facility houses 27 workshops and 21 classrooms for applied training programs and instruction in trades and technology. The $42.3 million project features a spacious atrium and was built by Ledcor.
