Refurbished Higgins Hall - Completed

“There’s a sense of lightness, vitality and vibrancy in the building, No matter what hallway or office you’re in, I think it’s something students will love.” - Luigi Marcone

Planning for the Higgins reconstruction began with the university Master Plan approved in 2003. Over the past several years, state bonding was approved and campus constituents were engaged in preliminary planning.

The state Department of Administrative Services hired a “construction manager at-risk” to manage the project and assume responsibility for potential delays and financial overruns.

The door of every classroom is protected with electronic access controls. More than 30 cameras survey common areas inside and outside the building. Hard-wired telephones were installed in study spaces and other common areas so messages can be sent as part of a reverse 911 system.

Higgins is now the third building on the Midtown campus to be equipped with exterior mass notification speakers to supplement the email, text and phone messages sent during emergencies.

The university shut it down right after commencement in 2017 and when it reopened 15 months later in August, the building has a lobby and a bluestone patio that is protected from rain, screened from the sun and equipped with wi-fi, making it perfect for class on a warm day or even a concert.

The Computer Science Department, which moved from Westside, now has a graphics research lab with three dedicated servers on which to experiment, along with three computer labs, a 3D printer and a seminar room.

Click HERE for an article written by the WCSU News with more details!

New Police Station - Completed

The WCSU Police Department is presently housed within a 1,150 square-foot addition to the Boiler House. Construction of a new facility, to be located on Western’s Midtown Campus, shall include multiple office spaces for administrative functions, a lobby/reception area, conference and interview rooms, a dispatch room, detainee processing area and holding cell, communications equipment room, records retention space, evidence receiving, processing and storage rooms, briefing/roll call/training rooms, an armory and detective squad room.Separate locker room facilities for male and female officers shall also be provided.  Construction of this new facility shall meet LEED Silver Certification requirements.