Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Virginia Tech Breaks Ground on New Campus

  • By Matt Jones
  • 09/15/21

With a celebratory groundbreaking ceremony, construction has officially begun on the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus in Alexandria, Va. University, government and business leaders gathered on Tuesday, Sept. 14, to mark the first steps of the first academic building of the new campus. The new facility is scheduled to open its doors to students, faculty and staff in fall 2024.

“It’s a day many years in the making, made possible by a broad group of partners who were willing to support a bold vision to advance research, graduate education and community engagement in the greater Washington, D.C., metro area,” said Virginia Tech President Tim Sands to a crowd of more than 200.

According to university news sources, the Innovation Campus will offer graduate-level programs in computer engineering and computer science, as well as project-based initiatives that will partner students with local industry leaders. Boeing announced in May of this year that it was investing $50 million in the new campus as its first foundational partner. The funds will help create scholarships and recruit faculty and researchers.

“Our vision for the Innovation Campus is to be both a place and a culture that unlocks the power of diverse people and ideas to solve the world’s most pressing problems through technology,” said Lance Collins, vice president and executive director of the Innovation Campus. “Diversity isn’t just a core value to me. It is a measure of excellence that will ensure the Innovation Campus delivers on its full potential.”

The new academic building will stand 11 stories and measure in at 300,000 square feet, and according to university news, its design draws on principles of sustainability, health and wellness, green and social spaces, accessibility, connectivity, flexibility and integrated technology. The campus itself will cover 3.5 acres and is being developed in North Potomac Yard, near a future Potomac Yard Metrorail Station.

The long-term plan for the Innovation Campus includes the construction of two other buildings, each about 150,000 square feet, as campus grows. The university partnered with Sasaki to create a master plan for the campus and with SmithGroup to design the new academic building. Construction is being handled by JBG Smith.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Miami University Approves New $242M Multipurpose Arena

    Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, recently announced that its Board of Trustees has approved construction of a new multipurpose arena at Cook Field, according to university news. The $242-million project will serve as a new centralized hub for student life and create space for economic development on campus.

  • Dallas ISD Voters Approve $6.2B Bond Package

    Dallas ISD voters have approved a record-setting $6.2-billion bond package that district leaders say will modernize aging campuses, eliminate portable classrooms and reshape learning environments across one of the nation’s largest school systems.

  • Academy of Classical Education Breaks Ground in Louisiana

    Charter Schools USA (CSUSA) recently announced the groundbreaking of a new public charter school in Covington, La., according to a news release. The Academy of Classical Education at Covington will enroll students in grades K–8 and is scheduled for completion in August 2026, just in time for the new school year.

  • College of the Desert Hits Construction Milestone on New Campus

    College of the Desert recently announced that the construction of its new Palm Springs Campus in Palm Springs, Calif., recently reached a major construction milestone, according to a news release. The college is partnering with general contractor C.W. Driver Companies, which recently “topped out” the facility by placing the final beam in its structure.