UConn Breaks Ground On New Nursing Building

STORRS, CT — It's official, the University of Connecticut will be getting a new, state-of-the-art nursing building.

UConn staged a groundbreaking ceremony for its new School of Nursing Building Wednesday with a crowd of students, benefactors, and university and state officials in attendance.

Construction on the building is slated to begin in November and the target for completion is the fall of 2026, school officials said.

The building will be located on Bolton Road near the South Campus dormitories and adjacent to existing clinical, academic, and research spaces.

A $50 million gift from Elisabeth DeLuca, a class of 1969 nursing graduate will support the construction of facility in addition to state funds.

DeLuca pursued a degree in nursing and graduated from UConn and her training and work experience as a nurse instilled in her "a lifelong appreciation for both the professionalism and compassion that nurses provide," UConn officials said.

As a family business grew over the next several years, she helped run what would ultimately become a global restaurant chain. Today, she serves as President of the Elisabeth C. DeLuca Foundation and the Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation, which are focused on access to education and health.

DeLuca’s gift is the largest in the history of the University for any purpose. A total of $20 million will go directly to construction costs of the School of Nursing Building, while $5 million will fund equipment for the building, and the remainder of the gift will be used for student scholarships and programmatic support. The balance of the construction costs will be funded through UConn 2000 and State of Connecticut bonding.

The new building will measure about 90,000 square feet.