Higher Education

George Mason University is planning several additions by 2007 to its 124-acre Prince William campus located in the Innovation @ Prince William Technology Park in Manassas, Va. Focussing on academic research in computer and information technology, plans include a new research/classroom facility as well as additional research space via industry partnerships. An arts center will be built as a joint venture of GMU, Prince William County and the City of Manassas.  

The 58,000-sf International Spy Museum is under construction in Washington in a building that formerly housed the Communist Party of the United States. The first of its kind in the nation, the two-floor espionage museum is being developed by The Malrite Co. and is due to open in spring of 2002. In addition to retail outlets and a spy-themed restaurant, the museum will house an Enigma machine, a pioneering World War II encryption device.

Community Education Partners Inc. has purchased a 167,000-sf structure in Philadelphia to convert into a modern educational facility housing approximately 1500 students. Purchased for $3.5 million from yarn maker and spinner Coren-Indik Inc., the former manufacturing facility and adjacent land is slated for an $18-million to $20-million renovation.

The University of Pennsylvania Riverview Campus master plan has been completed by Cambridge, Mass.-based Tsoi/Kobus & Associates. The 20-acre Philadelphia Civic Center site will be transformed into a mixed-use healthcare and research center serving the needs of the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania (CHOP) and the University of Pennsylvania.

The Paul D. Coverdell Building at the University of Georgia will house the Biomedical and Health Sciences Institute, which will focus on public health, molecular medicine, and infectious disease and immunity. This new research institute will connect UGA researchers with similar interests as well as generating biomedical research funding. As an educational and administrative structure, the Institute will develop interdisciplinary graduate programs in biomedical and health sciences, strengthen existing programs, and expand into new research areas.

Endicott College is planning a $15 million capital campaign to fund several campus improvement projects. Included are an $8 million, 53,000-sf, 230-bed dormitory and a 20,000-sf library addition housing 65,000 books and a new computer technology center.

The John M. Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis has selected Cambridge-based Tsoi/Kobus & Associates to program and provide a conceptual design for an expansion project.

Emory University has two buildings under construction that incorporate an innovative water recycling program. The system is designed to capture air-conditioning condensate for reuse by the cooling tower that provides air conditioning for a 325,000-sf medical research facility and a 268,000-sf cancer research institute. The $30,000 system will generate more than 2 million gallons a year of the 10- to 12 million gallons required by the tower. The system is expected to save water usage and sewer fees in the next three years that will cover its initial costs.

The University of Texas at San Antonio plans to break ground in summer 2001 on two new facilities, both designed by Garza/Bomberger & Associates. Students, faculty, and staff will be served by a 66,000-sf wellness/recreation center that will include a 10,000-sf Health Services Center as well as rooms for free weights, cardiovascular exercise, aerobics, and racquetball and basketball courts. A free-standing 11,000-sf campus child-care center will accommodate approximately 130 infants through pre-schoolers.The general contractor is Bartlett Cocke General Contractors.

Georgia Tech has plans to renovate and expand its Student Recreational Complex. The existing 1996 Olympic outdoor pool and diving well will be part of the $43-million, 32,000-sf project being designed and built by Hastings & Chivetta Architects Inc. The existing student rec facility will be demolished and rebuilt with the addition of a new swimming pool and connected parking deck.

Monmouth University has commissioned Philadelphia-based Ewing Cole Cherry Brott to design a new athletic center and mulitpurpose activity facility that will include a 5,000-seat multipurpose gymnasium, a 200-meter indoor track, a new university bookstore, coaches offices, locker rooms, luxury boxes, booster club, and a Hall of Fame. The existing athletic facilities in Boylan Gym will be renovated to expand opportunities for student and community recreation. The project is underway with construction scheduled to begin in early 2002.

Arizona State University (ASU) completed in November 2000 the $5.7 million restoration of Old Main, a cherished 30,000-sf landmark building constructed in 1895 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Old Main now serves as the activity hub for the 200,000-member ASU Alumni Association. The project includes a new entrance, new lobby and oak stair; the restoration of the 3,400-sf historic ballroom on the third floor along with a new boardroom, library, archives, and offices.

The College of St. Catherine in St. Paul has selected Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbot to renovate and design a new Student Center and Learning Commons. The 100,000-sf Student Center will be documented and constructed by Opus A&E Northwest of Minnetonka, Minn., and the 107,000-sf Learning Commons by McGough Construction and HGA Architects of Minneapolis.

Wittenberg University has selected Holabird & Root of Chicago to design the Barbara Deer Kuss Science Center and renovate the existing building. The first phase of a two phase project includes a 47,000-sf expansion of the original 96,000-sf facility to primarily house classroom, laboratory, and office space with state-of-the-art mechanical and electrical systems.

San Jose State University has plans for a new 17,000-sf building for the school's athletes devoted to physical conditioning, strength-building, and rehabilitation. Thanks to a $1 million grant from the Koret Foundation, the Koret Building is scheduled to open in fall 2001. It will provide all of the school's 350 athletes with lockers, a state-of-the-art weight room, as well as the rehabilitation center.