Bellevue U expands again

Bellevue University is expanding again, three years after a 70,000-square-foot addition to its campus was completed.

University officials and guests drove ceremonial silver shovels into the soil Monday less than 200 feet from the 3-year-old Educational Services Building, breaking ground for a building that will be almost twice its size.

The yet-to-be-named building will be six stories and will encompass an estimated 128,000 square feet. At $16 million, it will be the largest construction project in the school's history.

The new building will contain administrative and academic offices, the president’s office, the educational and research institute, the university’s Human Capital Lab and Center for American Vision and Values, information technology and a training room with a 100-person capacity.

University President Mary Hawkins said the most exciting aspect of the new building will be the opportunity to locate administrative and departmental staff in proximity to one another to allow better integration and collaboration.

"This is going to be truly a definition of how we work forward, not just about adding more cubes and offices and workrooms and conference rooms," Hawkins said. "It goes beyond that."

Mike Simmonds, chairman of the university’s board, praised the school’s leaders and credited the faculty and staff for its growth over the last 20 years. He said he expects the university will continue to grow.

"Our product is priced right, the quality of it is excellent and we are doing a really good job of promoting it not only across the country but, really, across the world right now," Simmonds said.

The university will fund construction of the new building with a bond issue from the city, as it did its Educational Services Building.

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