UMass Boston Moves Forward on Campus Master Plan
Chancellor J. Keith Motley today announced that the University of Massachusetts Boston is moving forward on its 25-year master plan with $125 million in new funding and the selection of an architect to program and design an Integrated Sciences Complex, the first of two academic buildings planned for the campus in the coming years.
With the Legislature’s approval and Gov. Deval Patrick’s signing last week of the Higher Education Bond Bill, UMass Boston will receive $125 million in new funding to help jumpstart its building plans and shore up existing facilities. The bulk of the funding, $100 million, is designated for a new academic building, while the remainder is for stabilizing the campus substructure.
Boston architectural firm Goody Clancy has been selected to conduct a programming study and preliminary design for a new Integrated Sciences Complex that will provide interdisciplinary lab, research, and classroom space. The new building is expected to be situated adjacent to the Campus Center in the area of the current North Parking Lot. Within the coming year, UMass Boston also anticipates moving forward with a second new facility, a general academic building, as part of its master plan.
“This is great news for both our students and our faculty,” Chancellor Motley said. “In just a few years we will have a new science center that will be second to none, providing the facilities and environment to enhance learning and advance research. It’s good to see our planning begin to take shape.”
UMass Boston’s 25-year master plan calls for a phased approach to rebuilding and enhancing the Columbia Point campus. Initial plans include adding at least two new academic buildings, reconfiguring the campus roadways, and relocating utilities, followed by the addition of structured parking and proposed on-campus housing of 1,000 beds. In the second phase, years 10 to 25, additional parking, academic and athletic facilities, and another 1,000 beds are proposed for the campus.
UMass Boston will work with the state’s Division of Capital Asset Management to oversee the design and construction of the new buildings.
About UMass Boston:
Established in 1964, UMass Boston prides itself on providing challenging teaching, distinguished research, and extensive public service to Boston and the Commonwealth. Through its six colleges—Liberal Arts, Science and Mathematics, Management, Nursing and Health Sciences, Public and Community Service, and Graduate College of Education—the McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies, and the Division of Corporate, Continuing, and Distance Education, UMass Boston offers undergraduate and graduate study to 13,400 students in more than 150 fields. For more information, visit www.umb.edu.