Despite general doubts as to the future solvency of the higher learning in person university model, the University of Nevada, Reno and its surrounding area has been booming in recent years in terms of construction, with new parking, apartments and now a $250 million plus business five-story building, halfway to completion.
The private developer Edgemoor, university officials and Clark Construction have combined forces on this controversial so-called Gateway District project on land at the southern tip of the main campus. It used to include historical homes, several of which were relocated at high costs, others demolished, and the formerly beloved Bibo Coffee, also bulldozed.
The yet to be complete building, called the UNR Mathewson Gateway College of Business Building, will include collaborative spaces. a 300-seat auditorium, a social space, technology labs, optimized teaching spaces and an outdoor space and plaza for food trucks and student events.
In terms of finances, it has come about as a result of public-private partnership funding, with Edgemoor taking most of the upfront costs in exchange for a 30-year UNR lease of about $10 million per year.
The structural phase took about a year to complete, with the watertight phase up next to build out walls and the building’s roof. Completion is scheduled for next summer, for a possible opening in the 2025 fall semester.