Central District project one of five finalists for international award


LAWRENCE — A once-in-a-generation University of Kansas project has been named a finalist for an international award.

The university’s Central District development project was recently named one of five finalists for the P3 Awards presented by P3 Bulletin, a leading publisher of information on public-private partnerships related to public infrastructure. 

The annual award considers nominated projects and companies from Canada, the United States and Latin America. KU’s Central District project was a finalist in the category of “Best Social Infrastructure Project.” The other finalists were: Government Civic Center, Central District, Honduras; International Museum of Baroque Art, Mexico; Long Beach Civic Center Project, United States; and Redevelopment of Ohio’s Southern Gateway – The Banks Project, United States.

KU has partnered with Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate on the Central District project.

“We are proud to have developed a unique public-private partnership model that allows us to undertake a large amount of construction at one time in a cost-effective way, and without any additional state funding, and we’re honored to be recognized by the P3 Awards,” said Jim Modig, university architect and director of KU Design & Construction Management. “We had a terrific topping-out ceremony for the Integrated Science Building component of the Central District on Nov. 10, and we look forward to moving forward with this exciting project for our students, faculty and staff.”

The development of the Central District into a new hub of research and education addresses immediate needs and positions for KU to address challenges for decades to come. The project will not only transform KU’s physical space but will fundamentally change the way research and education is done at KU.

Key to the district is the new Integrated Science Building, which will comprise 280,000 square feet of space for teaching, learning and interdisciplinary research in chemistry, medicinal chemistry, physics, molecular biosciences and related fields. For students, this means new classrooms, new ways of interacting with instructors and classmates, and close integration of coursework with cutting-edge research activity. For researchers, it means a state-of-the-art facility designed to spawn new ideas across disciplines and be an anchoring point for collaboration among KU’s research centers and campuses.

The Central District will also include a new residence hall and dining facility, apartment-style student housing, a student union, parking garage and a central utility plant.

For details, photos and video of the Central District, visit centraldistrict.ku.edu

Fri, 12/09/2016

author

Joe Monaco

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Joe Monaco

KU Office of Public Affairs

785-864-7100