Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Howard University Announces $785M Construction, Renovation Plan

  • By Matt Jones
  • 03/31/22

Howard University in Washington, D.C., recently announced plans for a $785-million construction initiative that will involve building three new academic halls and renovating multiple existing structures around campus. The project is the largest construction real estate investment in the school’s history, according to a news release. Construction is scheduled to begin this year and be completed by 2026.

The development is part of a phased Central Campus Master Plan that was announced in 2020 in response to an increase in enrollment and philanthropic investments. The Washington Post reports that enrollment jumped by 28 percent in two years, from 9,399 students in fall 2019 to 12,065 students in fall 2021.

 $670 million will go toward the new construction of three new academic halls. The Health Sciences Complex will play home to the Colleges of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy and Nursing and Allied Health Sciences. The Center for Arts and Communications will house the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts and the Cathy Hughes School of Communications. Finally, the STEM Center will contain STEM programs like chemistry, physics, biology, engineering, math and related lab spaces.

The three facilities will be the campus’ first new academic buildings since 1984.

“This is a watershed moment in the history of our institution,” said Howard University President Wayne A. I. Frederick. “Because of the tremendously enhanced financial posture we have worked so hard to achieve, the state of the University has never been stronger. The leadership of our board and executive team—along with the caliber of students we have enrolled, the illustrious faculty we have assembled, the dedicated staff we have hired, and the committed alumni base we have cultivated—presents an opportunity for us to solidify Howard’s status as one of the preeminent institutions of higher education in the country.”

The initiative also includes renovations to the Myrtilla Miner Building, which will house the School of Education and the Howard University Middle School for Mathematics and Science.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Surging Demand for Student Housing Fuels Major Campus Investment Opportunities

    University leaders throughout the U.S. are accelerating plans to modernize and expand student housing as enrollment stabilizes and demand for on-campus living rebounds. Recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that total postsecondary enrollment is projected to grow through the end of the decade, with undergraduate enrollment alone expected to increase by more than 8 percent by 2030.

  • GeoCam and UCLA: Modernizing Campus Accessibility Mapping

    In early 2025, UCLA partnered with GeoCam to capture and modernize its pedestrian infrastructure data. The goal was ambitious but clear: to produce a high-accuracy, imagery-backed digital map of every sidewalk, pathway, ramp, and ADA-related feature on UCLA’s 419-acre campus.

  • California Middle School Breaks Ground on Major Renovation Project

    The Hillsborough City School District (HCSD) in Hillsborough, Calif., recently began construction on new multipurpose and administration facilities for Crocker Middle School, according to a news release.

  • UT-San Antonio Begins Residence Hall Renovations

    The University of Texas at San Antonio recently began a $6-million renovation project to one of its residence halls, according to a news release. Originally completed in 1986, Chisolm Hall measures in at 120,860 square feet and is the oldest and largest residence hall on campus.