Dear University Community,
As the University of Missouri–St. Louis moves closer to celebrating its 60th anniversary in September 2023, we have launched a Transform UMSL effort that will bring extensive campus transformation as guided by our UMSL Campus Master Plan. This plan calls on us to consolidate the university’s academic core to the North Campus – including comprehensive renovations of classroom, laboratory and community spaces – in order to build a more cohesive academic experience that will position UMSL as a metropolitan campus of the future.
This work will include a relocation of several programs into newly renovated spaces and the demolition of several buildings on the South Campus to make way for an economic and community focused development along Natural Bridge Road that creates a North St. Louis County Business and Workforce District.
To kick things off, the J.C. Penney South Building will be closed to public access on Feb. 22, 2023, to prepare the area to house the new Richter Family Welcome and Alumni Center. The center will serve as the new “front door” for the university to welcome visitors, alumni and students, and is anticipated to be completed by summer 2025. This, and all new construction, will be built utilizing Smart Building Technology to efficiently manage HVAC, lighting, security and energy; and we will maintain a focus on the safe and sustainable removal of all hazardous/nonhazardous materials as we transform our campus. Signage will be placed around the entrances and walkways to the building to signal to our community that the space is closed.
Please note that the J.C. Penney North Building will remain accessible throughout the demolition and construction phases.
The next few years will be an exciting time of change for the UMSL community, and we will keep you informed of the progress along the way. Please visit our Transform UMSL website for more information about the projects and anticipated timelines for the work ahead.
Thank you,
UMSL Facilities Management
