New arena, School of Business projects underway
Construction crews have been busy on campus, improving traffic and pedestrian safety along roadways, making upgrades to residence halls, and hammering away at new buildings, including the forthcoming School of Business and the Liberty Arena. (Liberty also completed the next phase of its Williams Stadium expansion — read more.)
A new roundabout in front of the Liberty University Barnes & Noble Bookstore leads to a new section of University Boulevard that runs along U.S. 460 by the School of Business building and continues on to the Residential Commons.
Regents Parkway was extended to connect at the new South Campus bridge, keeping traffic flowing around the campus perimeter. Liberty Mountain Drive was also extended past the Liberty Indoor Track & Field Complex and Natatorium with access to U.S. 460 at Odd Fellows Road.
The university announced that a new parking garage on East Campus near the pedestrian tunnel is scheduled to open in 2020, in conjunction with the opening of the Liberty Arena.
The first phase of upgrades to the Hill residence halls began over the summer. Residence halls 17, 18, and 19 received new roofs to complement the architectural design of campus. By Fall 2019, residence halls 20-23 will each have an additional floor as well as new roofs. The Hill buildings will also have 15,000 square feet of new central common space that students can access from any of the seven Hill residence halls. The connector space for the new common areas will have a graded, covered walkway with both steps and ramps. Renovations and upgrades to the bathrooms are also planned.
“President Falwell has heard very loud and clear from students that they like those areas where they can study, do group projects, and just hang out. He was the one who pushed for the new common spaces,” said Dan Deter, vice president for major construction. “The whole administration is very committed to the student experience.”
The School of Business building — 78,000 square feet and rising three stories — is on schedule to open in the spring. The facility will include state-of-the-art technology for classrooms and professional meeting rooms.
The university broke ground for the Liberty Arena over the summer, and construction got underway this fall. The 4,000-seat center will connect to the larger Vines Center concourse and host most men’s and women’s basketball games as well as Lady Flames Volleyball games. The 115,000-square-foot arena is planned to open for the Fall 2020 athletics season.
Watch current construction at Liberty.edu/LiveCams.
