With the overturn of two dozen shovelfuls of dirt, University of Alabama Huntsville officials broke ground on what will become the Raymond B. Jones Engineering building, west of the existing facility near the campus lake along John Wright Drive.
Named in memory of the former UAH Foundation chair and longtime business and community leader, the Jones facility will encompass 80,000 square feet, in what university leaders said will provide cutting-edge resources to support the largest college on campus.
An estimated 2,850 students and 90 faculty and staff will utilize the facility. A renovation of the existing building was factored in to the project's initial approval just one year ago.
"From the day I got here, the number one thing I heard from people in this community is we need more engineers," said UAH President Chuck Karr. "We have to answer that call. It's been a real priority for us because for us to grow the enrollment; we have to have facilities."
UAH is classified as a “Very high research activity” campus by the Carnegie Classification of Institutes of Higher Education. Five of the university's research programs rank among the top 20 federally funded programs in the U.S.
Karr said Jones was the natural choice for the facility's namesake. "Because of his leadership, this university was set on a path for exponential growth," he said.
The project's overall budget is estimated at $59.3 million. The Alabama State Legislature voted to appropriate $18 million in state funding towards the engineering building project.