The College of Engineering is moving forward with updates to two City Campus buildings – Scott Engineering Center and the Link – after a $75 million project was approved recently by the NU Board of Regents.
When complete, the updated facilities will benefit students, faculty and research.
The plan includes renovation of the Scott Engineering Center and demolition and rebuilding of the Link. The work is necessary as the buildings are antiquated, expensive to maintain and do not meet the needs of a growing College of Engineering.
“This project is the beginning of a transformational change for our students, faculty and staff and for Nebraska engineering industry," said Lance C. Pérez, dean of the College of Engineering. “The upgraded facilities will enable the college to better accomplish our missions in education, research and outreach, as well as accommodate growth in undergraduate and graduate student enrollment and faculty research."
Over the last decade, the college has experienced consistent growth in its student enrollments. In fall 2017, the college had 3,117 undergraduates and 650 graduate students.
Here are the main components of the three-year project:
* Upgrades will begin in June 2019 with the demolition and replacement of the Link.
* Construction costs are estimated at $75,465,000, with $70 million in funding provided through bond proceeds and $5.456 million in private donations.
* Currently, the 25,307-gross-square-foot Link houses offices for civil engineering and electrical and computer engineering, as well as classrooms and meeting spaces.
* A new and expanded Link will be rebuilt on the same location with approximately 87,000 gross square feet of space that will primarily house research labs.
* Major renovations to Scott Engineering Center, a 177,000-square foot, four-story structure, are scheduled to begin in early 2021. SEC currently includes laboratories, research centers, classrooms, graduate student spaces and the machine shop for the College of Engineering.
* After these renovations — expected to be completed by the fall of 2022 —SEC will house laboratories for undergraduates and faculty research, department offices and classrooms.