New facilities abound at Washington colleges

written by Sheila G. Miller

Most of us would like to imagine that our college campus stays just as we left it, preserved in amber. But universities—and their campuses—move on, and these ones are building facilities for their newest students.

New Buildings at University of Washington

University of Washington is in the midst of building a computer science building on its Seattle campus. The $110 million building will be named the Bill & Melinda Gates Center for Computer Science & Engineering, and is slated to be completed by the close of 2018. With 135,000 square feet, the building will double the computer science school’s space, and, according to the university, will include a robotics laboratory and a wet lab space.

New Buildings at Central Washington University

At Central Washington University in Ellensburg, the long-vacant Samuelson Student Union building was partially demolished and rebuilt in order to create a computer science and technology center. The $58 million project is expected to be completed in fall 2018. The union was built in 1926 as the school’s gym and underwent several additions, according to the Ellensburg Daily Record. It was closed in 2005.

Gonzaga University

Gonzaga University’s new Volkar Center for Athletic Achievement is nearly complete. The three-story, 51,000-square-foot, $24 million building is expected to be complete by the year’s end. The facility will feature a university hall of fame, as well as a practice basketball court that according to The Spokesman-Review will be a replica of the game court. The third floor will include a large academic assistance area.