Rutgers Begins 250th Celebration with New, Upgraded Facilities in New Brunswick, Newark and Camden

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – As Rutgers prepares to launch the celebration of its 250th anniversary, the university is building on its historic strengths by opening modern residence halls, classrooms and labs that will provide new academic opportunities for students and faculty.

One of the most visible signs of Rutgers’ ambitions is the new Honors College at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, designed as a living/learning community and home to more than 500 first-year students. The five-story, 170,000 square-foot building overlooks the Raritan River and is a major component of Rutgers-New Brunswick’s College Avenue redevelopment initiative.

The Honors College will offer academic opportunities and challenges beyond traditional curriculum and classroom experiences. Students will have direct access to live-in faculty fellows, on-site Honors College advising and administrative offices, as well as high-tech seminar and study spaces and lounge areas.

Students are also moving into the four Bishop Quad residence halls following completion of extensive upgrades. Hegeman, Wessels, Leupp and Pell halls, located in the heart of College Avenue, date from the 1920s and have undergone a two-year, $13 million renovation. Approximately 300 undergraduate students reside in the Bishop Quad buildings.

Rutgers also has opened the new New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health. The $55 million, 78,000 square-foot building on the George H. Cook Campus houses state-of-the-art laboratories, community clinics, a children’s nutrition center and preschool, as well as a dining facility offering healthy food options.

Other completed projects include:

• 15 Washington Street (Rutgers University-Newark): An icon on the Newark skyline, the former home of Rutgers School of Law-Newark has been converted to apartment-style units for 333 graduate and undergraduate students that are configured as studios and one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom units. There will be common areas for student and academic use, and spaces that support events and arts performances and exhibitions produced by Rutgers faculty, staff and students in collaboration with Newark performers, artists and creators of all ages. The building will also serve as a residence for the chancellor of Rutgers University-Newark. The project cost was $85 million. A formal dedication is scheduled Nov. 17.
• School of Health Related Professions Clinical Lab Renovation (Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences): This $4 million renovation will improve the use of existing interior space by reconfiguring approximately 4,410 square feet to provide space and resources for the renovated SHRP Clinical Science and Interprofessional Health Laboratories and the adjacent research and clinical support area.

Several major projects are scheduled for completion during 2015-2016:

• School of Dental Medicine Oral Health Pavilion (Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences): This $13.5 million project in Newark adds more than 24,000 square feet of clinical teaching space to the C Level of the building. The clinic seamlessly integrates into the existing building and features a corridor that links to the adjacent Bergen Building, and will be completed by the end of 2015.
• The Chemical and Chemical Biology Building (Rutgers University-New Brunswick): With nearly 145,000 square feet, the facility will be connected to the Wright Reiman complex on the Busch Campus in Piscataway. The $115 million building will be energy efficient, sustainable and reconfigurable. It will provide critically needed laboratory, teaching and collaboration space that will enable Rutgers’ internationally recognized faculty to expand and accelerate in groundbreaking research drug design, alternative energy, biomaterials, nanotechnology and molecular engineering. The project is scheduled for completion in fall 2016.
• Global Village Learning Center at the Jameson Dormitory Complex (Rutgers University-New Brunswick): The new 19,000 square-foot center at Douglass Residential College on the Douglass Campus will be the home of the Global Village Learning Community. The facility will include lounge, classroom and residential spaces, including a large assembly space for leading lecturers and conferences. The $11.5 million project is scheduled for completion in fall 2016 and is a partnership between alumnae donors and Rutgers University.
• Express Newark, a university-community collaboratory (Rutgers University-Newark): Occupying about 10 percent of the 500,000 square-foot classic Hahne & Co. building, a former downtown department store, Express Newark will be an interdisciplinary learning space housing the collaborative practice of community residents and artists who will innovate and experiment with Rutgers University-Newark faculty, staff and students to engage in creative practice, foster democratic dialog and promote positive transformation.
• Writers House (Rutgers University-Camden): 305 Cooper Street (Henry Genet Taylor House) is on the National Register of Historic Properties. The project includes a major renovation of the existing 6,685 square-foot building to restore the building to its former glory by fall. The facility, which will be occupied by the Department of English, will provide students, faculty and guest writers an environment in which to meet and discuss literature and scholarly projects. Total cost is $4.5 million.  
• Alumni House and Development Office (Rutgers University-Camden): 312 Cooper Street (the former Red Cross Building) will be the home of the Alumni and Development offices. The $2.5 million project will see the renovation and restoration of the original 8,000 square-foot space and the construction of an additional 1,150 square-foot stair tower. The building includes meeting space for alumni of Rutgers.  Completion is anticipated this semester.

For media inquiries, contact E.J. Miranda, 848-932-7084 or emiranda@ucm.rutger.edu, or Steve Manas, 848-932-0559 or smanas@ucm.rutgers.edu