Drury University plans to break ground next year on a new academic building.

The three-story Enterprise Center building will be the new home of the Breech School of Business, as well as the political science department.

It will include a conference center and event center to be used by Drury and the community.

It will be built on the southeast corner of Central and Drury Lane.

The location is currently a parking lot.

The building is part of Drury’s campus master plan.

Here’s more from Drury University:

Drury University is moving forward with the first building project of its campus master plan.

This new academic building will bolster the interdisciplinary learning and teaching of the Your Drury Fusion academic experience, and it will be the new home of the Breech School of Business and other academic disciplines.

The three-story, 54,772-square-foot Enterprise Center will house business and political science academic programs, as well as high-tech student collaborative spaces, the Cox Compass Center, and an executive conference center.

It will be located on the southeast corner of Central Street and Drury Lane, currently a surface parking lot.

The project also features an 11,000-square-foot Center for Executive Education attached by a colonnade to the main building.

This conference center and flexible event space will be used extensively by the entire Drury campus as well as the Springfield community.

A groundbreaking is expected at the end of the current academic year.

“The Enterprise Center is the next major step forward in Drury’s campus master plan,” says Drury President Dr. Tim Cloyd. “It will not only be a space that will allow our incredible business programs to continue to shine, but also a lynchpin academic space for the Your Drury Fusion curriculum.”

The Enterprise Center will be the first major new construction project on the Drury campus in nearly a decade.

The space will:

• Promote interdisciplinary learning by providing a new home for the Breech School of Business Administration and the Department of Political Science and International Affairs.
• Reflect an emphasis on entrepreneurship and innovation that keenly balances learning-by-studying with learning-by-doing: the ethos of the new Your Drury Fusion curriculum.
• House the Robert and Mary Cox Compass Center, which brings together academic advising, career planning and development, and academic life coaching in one-stop-shop for students.

Drury has selected Nabholz as the general contractor.

Nabholz is one of the largest construction managers at risk/general contractors in the region.

Based in Arkansas with an office in Springfield, the firm has had a presence in the Ozarks for more than 40 years and uses an extensive network of local subcontractors.

Nabholz has spearheaded the construction of numerous education projects across Missouri and the Midwest, including an upcoming renovation project at Hillcrest High School for Springfield Public Schools.

Nabholz was also the general contractor for the Wonders of Wildlife Museum and Aquarium and the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Ark.

“The Enterprise Center is another example of Drury University’s commitment to providing its students with world class facilities and academic programs,” says Brad Hegeman, chief operating officer of Nabholz. “We are honored that the board and administration has placed their trust and confidence in Nabholz to serve as their construction partner for this very important project.”

Urban design and architecture firm Cooper Robertson, which developed Drury’s campus master plan, and Trivers, based in St. Louis, will design the building.

“The Breech faculty and leadership will define the experience, as they always have, but the new building will open creativity and innovation, and enhance the student experience,” says Drury Trustee and CEO of TransLand Mark Walker. “The Enterprise Center’s impact will go beyond the business program, however, as we combine form and function in ways that showcase the valuable interdisciplinary teaching and learning of Your Drury Fusion.”

Drury hires Jenny McCool to oversee project

Drury has also hired Jenny McCool as its internal point person for the project. She began her duties as Owner’s Design and Construction Representative in October. McCool is responsible for working with architects, engineers, and contractors on behalf of Drury University on the 25-year master plan.

McCool is an accomplished construction industry professional with more than 15 years of construction experience, management, and leadership, including 10 years in higher education. Her most recent employment was with EaglePicher Technologies, LLC, as senior project manager in facilities. She received “The Future Leader of the Year” award from the National Association of Women in Construction in 2014.

“It’s exciting to be part of Drury University as we move ahead with the master plan,” says McCool. “This building will be the first milestone of the plan and will be transformational for the campus and our students.”