Breaking Ground on Campus Construction Project
Campus transformation marks new vision for college on Huntington Avenue.
For Immediate Release
Darlene Gillan, Director of Communications
tel. 617 879 7050
e. darlene.gillan@massart.edu
Today, Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) began breaking ground on the first stage of a comprehensive project that will transform the college's campus along Huntington Ave in Boston. Over the next several years, MassArt will reshape its urban campus, making it more suited to the academic needs of a specialized art and design college. The college will also expand on-campus housing to nearly double the number of students it can house on campus.
The multi-year transformation will include new facilities and building modernizations; landscape and pedestrian improvements; roadway and parking improvements; and streamlined pathways within and among buildings.
Today's ceremonial groundbreaking took place at the college's campus center, the Kennedy Building. This will be the first capital project to be completed in order to provide necessary services to an increased number of on-campus students. The redesigned and modernized building will include offices for student services, 100 new seats in the dining commons, student galleries, classrooms, an art supply and bookstore, a coffeehouse, and an art store.
"This groundbreaking marks the beginning of profound transformation for the college and reaffirms our commitment to educating tomorrow’s innovators and visionaries who will help drive the Commonwealth’s creative economy," said Kay Sloan, president of MassArt. "As the project moves forward, it will establish MassArt as a center for contemporary art, providing greater cultural resources to the city and its residents. The future design and media center will enhance our opportunities to partner with local industry and will highlight our continued innovation in fields such as architecture, design, and dynamic media."
The extensive renovation will result in a campus consistent with MassArt’s position as a national leader in visual art and design education.
President Sloan also remarked, "This project is made possible by our partnership with the Massachusetts State College Building Authority, the Division of Capital Asset Management, and the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS). MCPHS has been a long standing partner in the Colleges of the Fenway with us and we are grateful for their generous financial support of the project."
For more information on MassArt’s future or to speak with someone from MassArt please contact: Darlene Gillan, Director of Communications, (617) 879-7050 or dgillan@massart.edu.