Plans are expected to advance in the months ahead for the construction of a new building on the campus of the University of Denver that will belong to the College of Engineering, Design, and Computing.
That campus, officially known as the Auraria Campus, is located just to the southwest of downtown Denver.
Long in the concept stage, the facility will be five stories tall and measure around 72,000 square feet. To be located on a currently vacant site at the corner of Speer Boulevard and Larimer Street, the building will be the first dedicated structure for the school’s engineering, design, and computing program.
Plans for the project were originally announced 2021. Early this fall, CU Denver submitted concept plans for the structure to the City of Denver.
As envisioned, the building will be a part of a planned innovation district on the school’s campus. That district, as described in a news release from CU Denver, will be designed as a “vibrant, open-access hub of intellectual and creative vigor” with walking space and “nature living laboratories.”
Both the innovation district and new engineering, design, and computing building is a part of the larger CU Denver’s 2030 strategic plan, which is partly geared toward greater workforce education offerings.
CU Denver officials have said that the facility will consolidate “many physically disconnected spaces,” noting that the school’s engineering classes are currently housed in seven different buildings.
Construction on the new building is expected to launch in April.
By Garry Boulard
