Old Dominion University (ODU) has secured full state funding for a new Engineering and Arts Building, representing the largest capital investment in the university's history. The approximately $250 million facility is slated for completion in late 2030, marking the institution's centennial year since its founding in 1930.
Funding Approved by Virginia General Assembly
The funding was included in Virginia's recently approved biennial budget, passed by the General Assembly and signed by Governor Abigail D. Spanberger. The project will serve as ODU's centennial building, symbolizing a century of progress.
President Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D., expressed gratitude to Governor Spanberger and the General Assembly for their foresight. "The Engineering and Arts Building underscores our collective commitment to bolstering Virginia's workforce by expanding opportunities for teaching, research and service, while also serving as an educational powerhouse and innovation hub in the nation," Hemphill said.
Interdisciplinary Design and Features
The three-story building will span more than 140,000 square feet, housing premier research environments, advanced maker spaces, robotics labs, collaborative design studios, and exhibition areas for creative disciplines. It will provide specialized laboratory space for maritime engineering, cybersecurity, and digital media, supporting ODU's research trajectory.
Hemphill added, "This contemporary infrastructure enhancement to our main campus empowers us to cultivate high-demand STEM and creative talent in an interdisciplinary environment. It will spark groundbreaking work across both the Batten College of Engineering and Technology and the College of Arts and Letters."
Economic and Workforce Impact
Board of Visitors Rector P. Murry Pitts highlighted the project's broader implications. "As the largest capital investment in the University's history, we will be able to provide the sophisticated, dual-purpose spaces required to match our accelerating research trajectory, while anchoring interdisciplinary collaboration for decades to come. This state support will draw premier talent and venture capital to Virginia, inspire commercial breakthroughs and reinforce the University's mission to graduate the skilled professionals required to power a thriving Commonwealth," Pitts said.
The building is designed to strengthen Virginia's creative tech economy by integrating engineering and arts disciplines, preparing students for high-demand fields. ODU expects the facility to maximize its economic impact and create upward mobility for citizens across the Commonwealth.
