PARKVILLE, Mo. — Construction of Park University’s new residence halls is nearing completion and students will begin moving into their suites this month.
Construction of the Copley Quad student housing project began last fall and has entered the final phase, said Paul Gault, Special Assistant for Administration and Park University's owner representative for the project. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 14, to celebrate the project, in conjunction with student move-in day.
“Despite the wettest winter and spring in many years, this project promises to be ready for students to move in as planned on Aug. 14,” Gault said.
The Copley Quad was designed by the architecture firms Ellerbe Becket of Kansas City and Sinclair Hille of Lincoln, Neb. Ellerbe Becket Construction Services managed the process through an integrated design-build approach.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony, which is open to the public, will be held on the south side of the Copley Quad. Tours of the facility will be available from 9:30 to 10 a.m., at which time the Copley Quad officially opens for students. The first day of classes at Park is Monday, Aug. 18.
The new buildings, with more than 86,000 square feet, will accommodate 250 students in four-person suites. An estimated 150 beds will be ready on Aug. 14, while the remaining 100 beds in the east wing will be ready for occupancy at the end of August.
Construction of the $18 million Copley Quad project began Oct. 11, kicking off the first in a series of developments in Park University’s master plan, which was adopted in 2006. The master plan includes eight development phases for new construction or renovation of existing structures, and calls for a total of 500 new student beds. The last phase is scheduled to be completed in 2012.
The new hall marks the first new student housing construction on the Parkville campus since 1969.
“We are pleased to add these beautiful new residence halls to accommodate the rising demand for student housing,” said Park President Beverley Byers-Pevitts. “The new buildings blend well with our historic architecture yet bring something new and exciting to our campus.”
Each Copley Quad suite includes about 840 square feet of furnished living space, with two bedrooms, two full bathrooms and a shared living area with an efficiency kitchen. Designed as true living-learning environments, the halls have about 2,500 square feet of common space with a conference/classroom, computer labs and study rooms, as well as staff offices, 24-hour reception desk, laundry facilities, recreational space and a full-service kitchen.
The location and design of the buildings offers abundant views of the campus while reflecting the history of Copley Hall, the existing historic building that dominates that part of the campus. Ellerbe Becket and Sinclair Hille kept the buildings true to Copley Hall’s Arts & Crafts style of architecture. The project is designed to LEED Silver standards to meet the university sustainability commitment.
Gault credits Ellerbe Becket’s integrated design-build construction services concept for the project moving along as scheduled.
“Even so, it has taken considerable effort to keep all parties – architects, engineers, and subcontractors – on track to reach this goal,” he said. “The true measure of our success will be on August 14 when the residents move in to their new home.”
Established in 1875, Park University is a national leader in higher education and is distinguished by its innovative adult-degree completion programs. The University has 26,402 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate degree programs at 43 campuses located in 21 states and online.
An innovator since its founding in 1909, Ellerbe Becket is a leader in architecture, engineering, interiors and the construction industry with office locations worldwide.
Contact:
Rita Weighill, President for Communication at Park University 1-816-584-6211
news@ellerbebecket.com
