Howard University Announces $785M Construction, Renovation Plan
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.
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Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].