Industry News

St. Louis Community College recently completed the 59,000-sf South County Education and University Center. An extension of the Meramec campus, the facility will serve approximately 2,000 students. The technology-rich facility features three computer labs, 17 “smart” classrooms, two interactive TV rooms connecting to other colleges, and computer carts with radio cards for wireless Internet access. 19 telecommunications enclosures provide wireless Internet connection from nearly everywhere in the building. Ground was broken on the project in December 2001 by project contractor Fru-Con Corp.

The University of Missouri-St. Louis has opened the new $52-million Blanch M. Touhill Performing Arts Center. The 123,000-sf facility houses the 1,625 Anheuser Busch Performance Hall and the 300-seat E. Desmond and Mary Ann Lee Theatre. Designed by Pei-Cobb Freed & Partners with the acoustic firm of Kirkegaard Associates, the center accommodates dressing rooms, performer lounges, two box offices, and a 42 x 54 ft rehearsal room. The center, which has a $6-million operating budget, will be used by both the university and the performing arts community.

Webster University opened its new $21-million Emerson Library on July 1, 2003. The 71,500-sf, five-floor facility accommodates 750 data ports, 20 small-group study rooms, a 100-person lecture room, an electronic classroom, and a 25-computer cyber café. The facility is Webster's only U.S. library; all other Webster campuses can access the library's materials in computer labs. Contractor Paric Corp. broke ground on the project in 2001. The library was designed by architectural firm Perry, Dean, Rogers & Partners of Boston.  

Northside Hospital-Forsyth is planning a $23-million expansion of its Cumming, Ga., emergency department. A two-story, 39,000-sf structure and a 12,500-sf addition will be constructed, and 16,900 sf of existing space will be renovated. The project, which more than doubles the size of the department, will also provide expanded radiology imaging capacity.

Northern Virginia Community College has selected Einhorn Yaffee Prescott, Architecture & Engineering to design the Bisdorf Building addition and renovationon at its Alexandria, Va., campus. A 22,000-sf lab and classroom area will be expanded with the construction of a 75,000-sf building accommodating science labs, lecture halls, classrooms, conference rooms, student activity and service areas. The project is slated for completion in 2006.