LAKELAND, Fla. — Florida Polytechnic University leaders hosted a groundbreaking event for its new visually innovative engineering building Thursday morning, according to a news release from the school.
The 40,000-square-foot Gary C. Wendt Engineering Building will house staff and faculty offices, research and development labs, collaboration spaces and a conference room within its two stories. The project costs $15 million to build, the release said.
Located on the northwest side of campus, it will also connect to the Barnett Applied Research Center, which along with the building’s modern design, was developed to bolster its already established engineering degree offerings.
“This new facility will not only expand our capacity for innovative research and academic development but will also provide an enriching environment where students can excel and emerge as leaders in their fields,” University President Dr. Randy K. Avent said in a statement.
Gary C. Wendt is a university trustee who has granted $2 million to the school since 2017 to help strengthen student performance and academic excellence, according to the release.
Now the school’s third academic facility on campus, the school’s long-term goals of expansion are seeing the fruits of its labor as the third student residence hall is set to open this fall.
The Gary C. Wendt Engineering Building is set to open its doors summer of 2025.