周二, 5月18日, Augustana University broke ground on a $50 million housing plan focused on new and enhanced facilities that will serve the educational, spiritual and holistic needs of Augustana’s students and staff, as well as inspire others in the community who utilize its campus.
住房项目, which will create a new south residential vill年龄, is a major step forward in the first phase of Augustana’s strategic plan 维京人大胆: The Journey to 2030.
“We’ve got some exciting things going on and our hard work is paying off. I think we’re seeing a lot of positive results behind all of the efforts,” said Chief Financial Officer & Executive Vice President Shannan Nelson. “What we’re doing is contributing housing revenues that we receive from our students over the next 35-40 years, which will create an upfront asset that allows us to retain bond financing, so that we can make these improvements across campus, as well as create some additional financial sustainability.”
Thanks to the expertise of Mortenson, KWK and Koch Hazard Architects, TSP, Inc., Associated Consulting Engineering (ACE), Inc. 和融合, the project will allow Augustana to attract future students and grow enrollment in an increasingly competitive market.
Construction will begin in the summer of 2021. When completed in the fall of 2023, Augustana will be home to a new residence hall, which will include 200 beds on the south end of the university’s north campus. Some new shared multi-purpose spaces will incorporate both living and learning environments for faculty, students and affinity groups on campus. Two of the university’s existing residence halls — Bergsaker and Solberg Halls — will see upgrades to infrastructure; elevators will improve accessibility with fresh new finishes and air conditioning will be added to each building.
The project will also focus on a newly-imagined campus green, which will include a new south landscaping courtyard. The plan includes renovations to existing parking, as well as improvements to other infrastructure, 比如公用事业, 可访问性和安全性.
“It will be exciting to have construction on campus to highlight our growth,” said Director of Facility Services Andrea (Miller) Smith. “We must be able to meet the needs of the growing number of students that we will have on campus. By elevating the experience of our residential component, we're elevating the excellence of the entire campus. It's going to be incredibly impactful, 不仅仅是奥古斯塔, but for the entire Sioux Falls community.”
The completion timeline for the project is as follows:
- 新南宿舍楼, Combined Living/Learning Space (North of Bergsaker Hall and East of Solberg Hall, South of 弗里克塞尔人文中心) — Fall 2022
- Bergsaker Hall Renovation (Southwest Side of North 校园) — Fall 2022
- 校园 Green: South Landscaping Courtyard — Fall 2022
- Solberg Hall Renovation (Southwest Side of North 校园) — Fall 2023
The new and improved housing plan for the south end of campus is part of a long-term comprehensive plan to transform Augustana’s physical campus. Once these projects are complete, the university will assess their impact, along with the most current enrollment projections, to best determine how to proceed with the next phase of the comprehensive plan.
Hosted by the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, the groundbreaking ceremony took place at 4:30 p.m.在…的南边 弗里克塞尔人文中心 2120秒. 田庄大道.
