News Release
May 2001

Moravian College to build high-tech academic center

The three-story complex will house 15 classrooms and four academic departments

(Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) – The Moravian College Board of Trustees has unanimously approved both a construction project and a financing plan for a new academic building at the heart of Moravian’s Main Street Campus. The three-story complex will house 15 classrooms and four academic departments in more than 55,000 square feet. Construction is expected to begin this year and take 15 to 18 months to complete.

The financing plan approved by the Board includes cash equity and debt components. Cost of construction will be $15.7 million with an additional $4.1 million necessary for a maintenance endowment. "Our decisions to build the academic complex reflects real vision, courage, and commitment," said Priscilla Payne Hurd, Chair of the Board of Trustees. "We have stepped up to a challenge and a dream that has existed at Moravian for almost three decades," she said.

The new academic complex will be constructed across from the Haupert Union Building (HUB) entrance on Monocacy Street. A beautifully landscaped pedestrian plaza will adjoin the building with the Collier Hall of Science and the walkways that lead to Reeves Library and other nearby buildings.

"Although we have much more work to do, our entire campus community should take pride in this visible sign of our progress and focus on academic excellence, "said Ervin J. Rokke, president. "The new academic building will enable Moravian to meet the specific demands of modern pedagogy. Technology-enhanced classrooms, in a variety of seating configurations, will facilitate innovative teaching techniques, enhancing the educational experience for our students," said Rokke.

To accommodate construction of the new academic building, the offices of Student Affairs, Multicultural Affairs, and International Study will be moved to four houses just north of Elizabeth Avenue on Main Street. Once the administrative offices are relocated, demolition and preparation of the construction site will begin.

Moravian College is a private, coeducational, selective liberal arts college located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Tracing its founding to 1742, it is recognized as America's sixth-oldest college. Visit the Web site at www.moravian.edu.