Bloomsburg, a Commonwealth University
Bloomsburg University Holds Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for Arts and Administration Building
Bloomsburg, Pa. (06/03/2021) — Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, June 2, to officially open the new Arts and Administration Building on campus.
The Honorable Mary Jane Bowes, BU's Council of Trustees chair, thanked everyone who worked on the project. "I want to thank Dr. Hanna for his vision and leadership, my fellow Trustees, our dedicated faculty and staff, facilities management - especially Ed Gunshore in his role as project manager, the Department of General Services, and most importantly our students," said Bowes. "We look forward to seeing it enjoyed by our students, faculty and staff for many years to come."
The four-story building features a mix of space for both academic and administrative functions. The lower level features the art department with metal and wood shops, photo and theatre labs, a student studio and plaster room. The first floor houses the admissions, financial aid and the registrar's office, a language lab and six classrooms. The second floor includes offices and studios for the art and art history department, and offices for the history and languages and cultures departments. The top floor houses the offices of marketing and communications, human resources, administration and finance and procurement and purchasing. One of the building highlights is an open atrium with a skylight above for more natural lighting.
BU President Bashar Hanna praised the collaborative nature of the space. "Often when universities build buildings, they either serve as an academic space or an administrative space," said Hanna. "This building serves both areas, emphasizing that here at Bloomsburg we are one family."
Construction commenced in October 2018 and was shut down from March 2020 to May 2020 due to COVID. Construction was completed in November 2020 before opening in January 2021.