Mary Scott NabersUniversities throughout the country are investing significant capital in existing campus facilities. National statistics show these types of initiatives are increasing significantly. The state of Texas is an excellent example of this emerging trend. A report by the Texas Higher Education Board indicates that 923 capital expenditure projects are planned for the Texas university system over the next five years. The projects have a total value of $43.1 billion, including $31.5 billion for new construction and $1.6 billion for additions and expansions.
The trend also appears in this year’s congressional earmarks. In 2024, Congress allocated funding assistance to 707 university projects with awards of up to $36 million. The University of Oklahoma received that large funding allocation. The state of Arkansas received $106 million for projects on college and university campuses. Earmark funding is provided through a state’s congressional representative.
Officials at Ball State University in Indiana have announced plans to construct a performing arts center. This $80 million project will support the university’s growing theater and dance department, which has doubled in size over the past 10 years. A 6,500-square-foot facility is being designed, and it will be located on the southern side of the campus. When completed, the new Ball State Performing Arts Center will include an orchestra pit, areas for staging set design, a large lobby, a main stage and seating for 450 people. Construction is scheduled to begin in late 2024, and a two-year timeline for completion is anticipated. The center is slated to open to the public in the fall of 2026.
A major renovation project on the Western Washington University campus will soon be launched. The institution’s Environmental Studies Center in Bellingham will benefit from a large modernization initiative estimated to cost $282 million.
The facility was the first environmental sciences building in the country when it was constructed in 1971. Still, it now suffers from a significant maintenance backlog, insufficient space for current operations and outdated technology. The 111,000-square-foot building will be upgraded with new technology, and when finished it will provide connections to other lab facilities. The neighboring Arntzen Hall will be renovated to provide dedicated space for the university’s geology department. The project will also update the Environmental Studies Center with cutting-edge equipment to deliver zero-carbon operations and electrified systems. Predesign work on the project was completed this month. University officials will select a progressive design-build team when the design phase is complete, and planning documents indicate a construction launch in 2027.
The Idaho State Board of Education approved a $195 million student housing project for the University of Idaho. The project will include maintenance of existing on-campus housing facilities to increase capacity by approximately 150 on-campus beds for students at the Moscow, Idaho, campus. The effort’s objective is to modernize and expand campus accommodations for the school’s growing student population. Enrollment has been steadily increasing, and the current freshman class is the second largest in the university’s history.
The project will address maintenance issues in several residential facilities and include enhancements and expansions. It is currently in the planning and design phase, and there is no announced date for a construction launch.
The University of Texas at Austin’s famous tower will undergo renovations for the first time in its history. The 27-story structure was completed in 1937 and initially served as the university library on the main campus. The upcoming $70 million project is one of many projects outlined in the university system’s capital improvement plan.
Plans for the tower include updates to the facility’s interior and exterior. The interior renovation will include an updated lobby, refreshed amenities and internal enhancements such as new lighting. The exterior plan includes cleaning and revitalizing the masonry and refurbishing the clock. New windows will be installed, and the observation deck will be waterproofed for the first time. Bidding documents are expected in late 2024, with a construction launch in 2025.
Officials at Purdue University will soon launch a $187 million plan to construct a mixed-use Academic Success Building in Indianapolis. Construction is slated for early 2025, with the expectation that the project will be completed by May of 2027, but the design phase has not started.
The new building will include classrooms, academic facilities and new dining areas. It will provide 500 new beds and 400 new dining seats. The building will comprise about 250,000 square feet in total and will be delivered using a construction manager to handle oversight.
The Academic Success Building will be the first new construction project on Purdue’s Indianapolis campus. The funding includes $60 million in state appropriations and $127 million in university funds.
The University of Virginia’s College at Wise will soon require construction services for a project to add a new academic building with technology-focused lab spaces. The planned 52,000-square-foot building has been projected to cost $66 million. Although this project is in the very early stages, it is moving rapidly, and construction is expected to begin in late 2025.
College recruitment is becoming more aggressive, and student populations are increasing. Many of the major projects on higher education campuses involve student housing, expanding program facilities, campus safety initiatives, student centers, and equipment/technology upgrades. This trend represents an abundance of upcoming opportunities for private sector firms interested in collaborative initiatives.
Photo courtesy of Larry D. Moore
