Spring Break
College of Business Administration plans to build $60 million building
Building set to take Kendall Hall's place
Taylor Short
Issue date: 7/31/08 Section: NEWS
The UNT Board of Regents approved $10 million on July 14 for the College of Business Administrations' Business Leadership Building, along with the $50 million in tuition revenue bonds approved by the Texas Legislature, totaling $60 million for the project.
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board approved construction in May. The building would contain classrooms, computer spaces, research centers, conference centers, advising offices, external relations, the dean's suite, graduate advising and faculty and staff space for the College of Business Administration.
"Right now we're in the programming phase," said Raynard Kearbey, director of system planning and development. "We're in the process of negotiating with an architect to start the design process probably within a month or two."
On May 8, 2008, the board approved the selection of the architectural firm Jacobs Carter Burgess, part of the Polshek Partnership of architecture firms.
"This is just a preliminary schedule," Kearbey said. "Construction probably won't start until somewhere around November of 2009. It'll be about 12 to 16 months for the planning process."
Kearbey said construction would likely take 18 months, and the building would be ready for use in August 2011. The building would be in the space where Kendall Hall is now. That hall is being vacated for demolition.
"They have to move all the people out and find a place for them to go," said Finley Graves, the college's dean. "Then we have to demolish the building before we can break ground."
Graves said if the $60 million project costs more, the college would attempt to raise private money. The building, along with the new Life Sciences Building, is being designed using the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System, which was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. The more costly system provides standards for environmentally sustainable construction through three levels: silver, gold and platinum. According to the U.S. Green Building Council Web site, the rating system is based on points given by addressing six major areas including sustainability, water efficiency, energy, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation and design.
"We were shooting for silver, but there is so little difference between silver and gold, the builder has told us that we should go for gold if we can," Graves said. "It will be required to be at least complementary to the university's master plan, but we do hope to achieve a corporate look."
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board approved construction in May. The building would contain classrooms, computer spaces, research centers, conference centers, advising offices, external relations, the dean's suite, graduate advising and faculty and staff space for the College of Business Administration.
"Right now we're in the programming phase," said Raynard Kearbey, director of system planning and development. "We're in the process of negotiating with an architect to start the design process probably within a month or two."
On May 8, 2008, the board approved the selection of the architectural firm Jacobs Carter Burgess, part of the Polshek Partnership of architecture firms.
"This is just a preliminary schedule," Kearbey said. "Construction probably won't start until somewhere around November of 2009. It'll be about 12 to 16 months for the planning process."
Kearbey said construction would likely take 18 months, and the building would be ready for use in August 2011. The building would be in the space where Kendall Hall is now. That hall is being vacated for demolition.
"They have to move all the people out and find a place for them to go," said Finley Graves, the college's dean. "Then we have to demolish the building before we can break ground."
Graves said if the $60 million project costs more, the college would attempt to raise private money. The building, along with the new Life Sciences Building, is being designed using the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System, which was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. The more costly system provides standards for environmentally sustainable construction through three levels: silver, gold and platinum. According to the U.S. Green Building Council Web site, the rating system is based on points given by addressing six major areas including sustainability, water efficiency, energy, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation and design.
"We were shooting for silver, but there is so little difference between silver and gold, the builder has told us that we should go for gold if we can," Graves said. "It will be required to be at least complementary to the university's master plan, but we do hope to achieve a corporate look."
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