New UConn School Of Nursing Building To Be Studied

STORRS, CT — A new school of nursing facility is about to be studied at the University of Connecticut.

The UConn Board of Trustees at its meeting last week approved the use of $2 million in UConn 2000 bond funds for a new building for the program.

According to the trustees packet, UConn School of Nursing is currently located in Storrs Hall, a building considered historic that was constructed in 1906.

In 2012, a was added to accommodate "the growing needs of the school," resulting in

a total area of 51,000 square feet, according to the packet. Because of the "continued growth" of the program, the existing building can no longer adequately fulfill the School's requirements in terms of size and "spatial configuration," according to the packet.

The goal is to construct a new building for the School of Nursing to "accommodate an increased enrollment and to address the shortage of nurses, the changing nature of health care, and the increasing disparity in health outcomes," officials said. The new building will be "strategically" located near the existing Brain Imaging Research Center, aligning with "the vision"
outlined in the 2015-2035 Campus Master Plan, officials said.

The first step is a comprehensive site survey to assess the existing site conditions, including the
infrastructure and underground utilities. That will lead to the subsequent design process, officials said.