Quinnipiac University is getting a major transformation. The South Quad Project is moving forward after getting approval from the Hamden Planning and Zoning Commission Tuesday.
“It’s going to be the creation of an entire new part of campus,” Bethany Zemba, Vice President for Strategy and Community Relations, said.
When the South Quad comes to life during the 2024-2025 school year, it will have green space, two new academic buildings, and a residence hall for students.
The Board of Trustees signed off on the project in January. Now that it is gotten zoning approval, the stage is set to start this winter.
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“The spaces have been designed through a lot of input of the faculty, who will be teaching in those spaces, to really think about what we need for experiential hands-on learning,” Zemba said.
It is a $293 million dollar project. Construction will be funded through a combination of university endowment, philanthropic efforts, and debt financing.
The 142,000 general academics building will feature a new auditorium that can seat 700 people The School of Business, 80,000 square-feet, will include an innovation hub. The 417-bed residence hall for freshmen will have air-conditioning and courtyards.
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“These buildings actually are to provide more opportunities for faculty student interaction, both in the classroom and research outside of the classroom,” Sal Filardi, Vice President for Facilities and Capital Planning, said.
University officials say the project is a necessary step in supporting Quinnipiac’s focus on hands-on learning.
“This is the first new building on our Mount Carmel campus since the early 90s...academically there really hasn't been anything except some renovations,” Filardi said. “We think it's fantastic development for student interaction.”
Outside of academic buildings, the University recently constructed a new Recreation and Wellness Center. Like that structure, the South Quad is being built with the environment in mind. Each of its three buildings are designed to be LEED certified.
“Water filtration systems, it can be things of addressing light pollution, so specific kinds of lights, rain gardens, native species of trees, and plants, you know, locally sourced wood,” Zemba said.
It’s a project equipping the university to meet the needs of its 9,000 students.
“Everybody has worked very hard together for this shared vision,” Zemba said. “I think that the students are really going to benefit.”
