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Sustainability • Campus Announcements

Building Connections: New building and renovation project updates

Sustainability • Campus Announcements

Building Connections: New building and renovation project updates

building connections logoRenovating the iconic Bachelor Hall, expanding geothermal on North campus, and the construction of the new Chestnut Street Station multimodal transportation hub are major projects underway on ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University’s Oxford campus this summer. 

This work follows the recent completion of major building projects: McVey Data Science which opened in January 2024 and the Clinical Health Sciences and Wellness facility which opened in summer 2023. 

architect rendering of the atrium in Bachelor Hall

Bachelor Hall Renovation 

Construction is expected to be completed by summer 2026

Renovations began in June on Bachelor Hall, a two-year process that will consolidate space, modernize classrooms, and create an environment for interdepartmental collaboration. With 20 classrooms and 141 offices, Bachelor will expand its square footage from 112,000 to 120,418 by project’s end.

University architect Robert Bell said one of the biggest changes will be enclosing the existing courtyard into an atrium space, with a large skylight bringing natural light into the building (rendering at right).

Other new features will include a modern TV studio; the Bachelor Great Room, a 68-person multifunctional space for events and teaching; and a dedicated event space for the Humanities Center.

Read the story: Renovations reshaping Bachelor Hall as a hub for the humanities  

A large banner on a red construction fence  around Millett south lawn with the word Together we will achieve carbon neutrality, and expanding geothermal 520 wells under millet south lawn

North Geothermal Expansion 

The project is expected to be completed by summer 2026 

The North Chiller Plant Geothermal Conversion project broke ground in June with the drilling of the first of 520 geothermal wells. This project is the next big step toward reducing carbon emissions. ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú is committed to achieving carbon neutrality on its Oxford campus by 2040.

Highlights of the North Geothermal Project:

  • 520 geothermal wells, 850 feet deep, under the front lawn of Millett Hall.
  • The North Chiller Plant in ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉúings Hall will be converted to support the geothermal exchange.
  • This conversion will eliminate more than 5,810 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents in emissions (MTCO2e) annually. 

Read the story: “Expanding geothermal on ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú’s campus: North Chiller Plant conversion to geothermal project” 

Chestnut Street Station construction site and a fence with a large banner and rendering of the  design for the multimodal transportation hub

Chestnut Street Multimodal Station

The transportation hub is expected to be in operation by September 2025  

Groundbreaking for , a multimodal transportation center located at 97 W. Chestnut Street, took place Jan. 19. The location is adjacent to ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú’s Chestnut Fields parking lot. 

The $25.8 million project, led by the Butler County Regional Transit Authority (BCRTA) in collaboration with ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University, has been in the planning stages for more than 10 years. BCRTA provides fare-free service to all ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú community members and Oxford residents. The new state-of-the-art facility will make it easier to travel to, from, and around Oxford car-free.

The facility will include, among other things:

  • Accessible public restrooms; bike storage; community meeting space.
  • Accommodations for future battery-electric or hydrogen fueling and future solar energy capture.
  • Shared access and amenities for proposed Amtrak service.

Read the story: BCRTA breaks ground on Chestnut Street Multimodal Station Jan. 19 with ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú and city of Oxford 

What else is new?

Two new academic buildings opened this past year; and a 2023 alumna launches her business at the new Lee and Rosemary Fisher Innovation College@Elm

ValanDria Smith-Lash in her production space at  Innovation College at Elm building

New business opens in Fisher Innovation College@Elm

Launched spring 2024

VaLanDria Smith-Lash ’23 opened Coarse Culture, her skin care company based at the Lee and Rosemary Fisher Innovation College@Elm in Oxford, with a ribbon cutting celebration in April.

Read the story: Young entrepreneur opens skin care business in Oxford's innovation hub (4/10/24)