Wednesday, September 17, 2014

La Salle University Constructing New $35M Business School

La Salle University announced it will construct a new 87,000-square-foot facility for its school of business at the intersection of Wister and Chew avenues in Northwest Philadelphia.  A 300-seat auditorium, a sales training laboratory and corporate-style boardroom are among some of the building’s features. The University held a groundbreaking ceremony on Sept. 16, 2014 at the building site. 
 
The $35 million project will create approximately 600 construction jobs. The six-story structure is expected to be completed in January 2016.

The University announced last November that it planned to construct a state-of-the-art facility to house its School of Business.

The new building has been designed to include amenities and spaces that facilitate the collaborative learning, networking, and teamwork necessary in today’s business world.

“This is one of the most significant projects that La Salle has undertaken in its 151-year history,” said William Sautter, Chairman of the Board of Trustees.

Highlights of the new $35 million School of Business building:
  • six-story 87,000 square foot facility
  • A large atrium space that can be used to host networking and social events
  • A completely wireless infrastructure that will allow students to interact in real time with other students and executives from around the world
  • A 300-seat auditorium that can be used to host symposia and conferences
  • Flexible collaborative learning rooms that will reinforce student / faculty and student / business executive interaction
  • An array of computer classrooms and simulation facilities
  • Video conferencing capabilities throughout the building
  • A sales training laboratory
  • A corporate-style boardroom

The 87,000-square-foot building will be located on the University’s West Campus and will extend the University’s frontage from Olney to Chew Avenue. The project will also have a positive impact on the community, creating approximately 600 jobs during construction.

The School of Business facility’s state-of-the-art amenities will include a dramatic atrium space that can be used to host networking and social events; a sales training laboratory and simulation facilities; a corporate-style boardroom; a 300-seat auditorium, and flexible collaborative learning rooms, gathering spaces, and technology-equipped breakout rooms that will reinforce interactions among students, faculty, and business executives.

The facility is scheduled to open for classes in January 2016. The project is being funded with $20 million from the University and $15 million in alumni donations.

La Salle’s School of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, a designation held by less than 5 percent of business schools worldwide. La Salle University was established in 1863 through the legacy of St. John Baptist de LaSalle and the Christian Brothers teaching order, which St. LaSalle founded in 1680.  LaSalle is an educational community shaped by traditional Catholic and Lasallian values.