Husson University breaks ground on College of Business building
Screen shot / Husson University
The virtual groundbreaking ceremony on video featured this composite image of, from left, Cameron Clark, student trustee and president of Husson University Student Government; John Rohman, chair of Husson's board of trustees; Robert A. Clark, Husson University president; and Marie Hansen, dean of Husson’s College of Business and New England School of Communication. For social distancing purposes, each was photographed separately; the images were then combined.
With real shovels digging — and joined in a virtual ceremony — Husson University in Bangor broke ground on its new College of Business building, commemorated in a 12-minute video that was shared online Tuesday.
Only slightly behind the original April timetable, the groundbreaking was held about four and a half months after the school wrapped up its first comprehensive capital campaign, raising $38 million, including a $4 million donation from the Harold Alfond Foundation.
The gift, the largest in the school's history, far exceeded the $21 million fundraising goal.
Husson spokesman Eric Gordon told Mainebiz the school is looking to "cut the ribbon" and enter the new building by fall 2021, and that Sheridan Construction Corp. will manage the project.
The construction firm, which has offices in Fairfield and Portland, has a higher education portfolio that includes the Bowdoin College Fieldhouse, completed in 1989, and recreation and performing arts centers built at Fryeburg Academy after fire destroyed the Gibson Gym there in 2005.
At Husson, the new College of Business site will include 42,500 square feet of experiential classrooms and offices, supported by an advanced technology infrastructure; learning spaces devoted to augmented and virtual reality; a large space that can be used for mock trials; and a classroom with tiered seating.
Husson, which bestows more MBAs than any university in Maine, said the new facility will strengthen the school's role as a business education leader.
“While I wish all of our Husson family could have gathered together for this important milestone in the university’s history, the current coronavirus pandemic has made this video the safest and most practical way to share this landmark occasion," Husson President Robert A. Clark said in a news release.
“Watching this signature building rise from the ground over the next 14 months will serve as a reminder of the bright future that is ahead for us all," he added.
Husson's roots go back to 1898, when the educational institution was known as the Shaw Business College and School of Penmanship. Back then, it was located in a single building in downtown Bangor.
Today, the nonprofit university is spread across a 208-acre campus, with 52 undergraduate program and 18 graduate programs in a variety of disciplines.
The new College of Business building will be next to the Richard E. Dyke Center for Family Business at the Bangor campus.
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