Dear University Community,
UMSL Facilities Management is pleased to provide our campus community with a monthly update email to share our Transform UMSL initiative progress. The Transform UMSL initiative is a coordinated campus master planning approach that spans the next five years and includes more than $100 million in public and private investments to reimagine and redefine our campus footprint.
We have nine core projects in play - each with multiple sub-projects – that will grow and flex as we move forward. Our team is focused on three initial projects while we work to lay the groundwork to accomplish the others. First, we are currently finalizing the buildout of the second floor of our Patient Care Center to become the main hub of our College of Optometry. Construction is well underway, and crews are working to bring this space to life to serve our optometry students, faculty and staff. This project includes unique classroom and skill room spaces to support the Optometry program. Framing and drywall for the skills rooms are in progress, and we’re on track to complete the new space in June 2023.
We’re also currently engaged in site preparations at the J.C. Penney South building that will serve as the foundation for the new Richter Family Welcome and Alumni Center. We’ve already closed access to this section of the building in order to clear the way to demolish the existing auditorium this spring. In place of the auditorium, we are building an addition that will serve as the new “front door” to our campus. We are currently in the bid process for the demolition.
Finally, we are closing out the design phase for the renovations to the University Libraries which will bring a new look, feel, and functionality to the third and fifth floors of the TJ Library while adding a new gallery space on the second floor within the Mercantile Library. Please take a moment to view a walkthrough rendering of the library as developed by eddy Design Group to see a sneak peek at what the library renovations can yield.
You can follow our progress and timelines by downloading our monthly Transform UMSL Project Report. Feel to reach out to us with any questions during this exciting time of transformation at the University of Missouri–St. Louis.
Sincerely,
UMSL Facilities Management
