St. Ambrose University Breaks Ground on $8M Renovation Project

  • By Matt Jones
  • 10/11/21

St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, announced a renovation project recently that will transform the 105-year-old LeClaire Hall (the second-oldest building on campus) into the Higgins Hall for Innovation and Human-Centered Design. The near-complete interior renovations of the building will start in spring 2022 and are scheduled for completion by fall 2023. The university held a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 7, for the project, which is estimated to cost about $8 million.

The renovation project was jump-started by a significant donation from SAU alumnus and trustee Tom Higgins, class of 1967. The building will feature five modernized classrooms and 20 administrative offices; it will also house the St. Ambrose School of Social Work, the Institute for Person-Centered Care (IPPC) and the Master of Public Health (MPH) program.

“What Tom is envisioning is how we more intentionally provide support services and a holistic experience for students in all disciplines on our campus,” said St. Ambrose President Amy Novak, EdD. “If we’re looking at the future of higher education, it rests with how we know a student best. Can we create a customized experience by recognizing their strengths, where they’re vulnerable, and understanding their learning style? Can we deliver a tailored learning experience?”

Higgins previously donated $1 million to the university for the creation of both the MPH and IPCC programs, both of which debuted in fall 2017. He has also provided funding that allowed the School of Social Work to add a Bachelor of Social Work degree to its repertoire.

According to local news reports, the university partnered with Studio 483 Architects for the new facility’s interior design, and Estes Construction will serve as the lead contractor.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • How One School Reimagined Learning Spaces—and What Others Can Learn

    When Collegedale Academy, a PreK–8 school outside Chattanooga, Tenn., needed a new elementary building, we faced the choice that many school leaders eventually confront: repair an aging facility or reimagine what learning spaces could be. Our historic elementary school held decades of memories for families, including some who had once walked its halls as children themselves. But years of wear and the need for costly repairs made it clear that investing in the old building would only patch the problems rather than solve them.

  • KI Launches K–12 Classroom Furniture Giveaway

    Contract furniture company KI recently announced the launch of its fourth-annual Classroom Furniture Giveaway, which awards $50,000 each to four K–12 educators across the U.S., according to a news release. The goal is to address decreasing student engagement and increasing teacher burnout numbers by updating learning spaces to accommodate modern needs.

  • Tennessee State University Gains Approval for New Engineering Facility

    Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tenn., recently announced that it has received approval from the Tennessee State Building Commission to build a new engineering building on campus, according to a university news release. The 70,000-square-foot, $50-million facility will play home to the university’s engineering programs and the Applied & Industrial Technology program.

  • Colorado State University Global, SCTE Launch Online Certificate Program

    Colorado State University Global (CSU Global), based in Denver, Colo., recently announced a partnership with CableLabs subsidiary the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) to launch an online certificate training program for broadband professionals, according to a news release.