Recent Developments
UMass Lowell and the city reached an agreement in 2009 for the school to acquire the Tsongas Arena and the 3 acres (12,000 m2) of land adjacent to it. The transfer was finalized in February 2010 and the venue renamed the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell. The university bought the DoubleTree Hotel in downtown Lowell in 2009. Now called the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center, the building includes student housing, year-round lodging for the public and is home to events for the university and community, as well as business and cultural programs, conferences and more.
The university broke ground in June 2010 on the new Emerging Technologies and Innovation Center, the first new academic building built on campus in 30 years. The building, located on the former site of Smith Hall (demolished in July 2010), cost $80 million, with funding from a variety of sources including the state, alumni and other private donors. On March 30, 2011, the university held a topping-off ceremony marking the completion of the ETIC's steel frame. The ceremony also included the opening of a time capsule that was placed in the cornerstone of Smith Hall during its 1947 construction, as well as the compilation of a new time capsule to be included in the ETIC. The building's grand opening was on October 11, 2012.
In July 2009, the Massachusetts legislature eliminated more than $1 million in funding for the state's Toxic Use Reduction Institute (TURI) from the state budget. TURI is based on the UMass Lowell campus. In October 2009, it was announced that the university had secured federal stimulus funds that would enable the institute open through the end of the fiscal year on June 30, 2010. TURI continues to operate today.
In January 2011, the university announced that it had acquired the old St. Joseph's Hospital in Lowell for $6.3 million. The complex, renamed University Crossing, consists of six buildings and approximately 300,000 square feet (28,000 m2) of developable space. The university has not announced final plans for the property, but discussions include a student center, food court, bookstore, faculty offices and more. The University Police and some administrative functions will be the first to move to the site. A task force that includes representatives of the surrounding neighborhood and the city has been formed to discuss the future of the property. The facility is located near the university's North, South and East campuses and will serve as a central point uniting all three.
The university broke ground in April 2011 on the new Health and Social Sciences Building on South Campus. The 69,000-square-foot (6,400 m2) building, construction of which is funded by the state's Higher Education Bond Bill of 2008, will be home to three of the university's most popular majors: criminal justice, nursing and psychology.
In November 2011, the university broke ground on a $16 million parking garage on North Campus. The garage is a six-story, 650-space parking facility opened in Fall 2012.
In January 2012, construction of a new residence hall on East Campus, to be named University Suites, began with the demolition of the Institute of Plastics Innovation Building. The suite-style residence hall is scheduled to open in August 2013 and will house 472 students. The building will also have a cafe, a multipurpose room, learning commons and other amenities.
In May of 2012, it was announced that a new building to house the Manning School of Business will be erected in the name of alumnus John Pulichio '67 and his wife, Joy Tong, who donated $4 million for student scholarships. The new Pulichino Tong Business Building will offer students a world-class business education with the best facilities, including a trading room.
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