UCA announces plans for $18 million business building

UCA President Lu Hardin yesterday announced that UCA will soon break ground on a new $18.1 million building that will be the new home of its College of Business.

In a speech to the Conway Rotary Club, Hardin said the 82,000-square-foot facility could be completed by the beginning of the fall 2009 semester.

“The new College of Business building will be state-of-the-art, and one of its exciting features is that it will include several large lecture halls that will each be able to accommodate over 200 students,” Hardin said. “When the building is complete, UCA’s short-term classroom needs should be satisfied.”

The building will be located on Donaghey Avenue, between Wingo Hall and the headquarters of the Arkansas Educational Television Network (AETN).

Hardin said that the bulk of the construction costs will be covered with the $13 million that is UCA’s share of the $100 million in higher education bonds approved overwhelmingly by Arkansas voters in November 2006. Hardin co-chaired that bond campaign with University of Arkansas System President B. Alan Sugg.

The remaining costs will be paid for using institutional bonds issued by UCA.