NORFOLK, Va. — Old Dominion University will start construction on a $250 million Engineering and Arts building ahead of their 100-year anniversary.
The university secured the funding after Gov. Abigail Spanberger approved Virginia's spending plan for the next two years, which provides full funding for ODU's planned Engineering and Arts Building.
“The Engineering and Arts Building underscores our collective commitment to bolstering Virginia’s workforce by expanding opportunities for teaching, research and service, while also serving as an educational powerhouse and innovation hub in the nation," ODU President Brian O. Hemphill said in a statement sent to News 3.
Watch previous coverage: Constant Hall concerns resurfaced in ODU Faculty Senate dispute with admin
Spanning 140,000 square feet and three stories, the building will be used for research, advanced maker spaces and robotics labs, alongside design studios and exhibition areas for creatives on campus.
“As the largest capital investment in the University’s history, we will be able to provide the sophisticated, dual-purpose spaces required to match our accelerating research trajectory, while anchoring interdisciplinary collaboration for decades to come," said Board of Visitors Rector Murry Pitts.
ODU is partnering with VMDO Architects, a Virginia-based architecture firm that is responsible for other college buildings like Virginia Commonwealth University's Basketball Development Center and the University of Virginia's School of Data Science. The university will also work with Ballinger and Diamond Schmitt for building design.
This announcement comes months after a shooting on campus that killed ROTC instructor Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, and in the midst of a dispute between ODU's administration and Faculty Senate.
Watch previous coverage: 'I Just start stabbing him': ODU Army ROTC cadets describe the March 12 shooting
More than three months ago, the senate issued a vote of no confidence against President Brian Hemphill after a decision to condense online courses to eight weeks. On June 15, the Board of Visitors extended Hemphill's contract through 2032. It cited “unwavering confidence in President Hemphill’s visionary leadership" in a release sent to media.
But the senate called the move a "direct dismissal" of faculty, students and staff due to the no confidence vote.
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The Engineering and Arts facility will serve as ODU's centennial building upon completion, which is slated for 2030 — 100 years since the university was founded in 1930.
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