President Fritz Erickson recently shared conceptual renderings of a revamped University Center and replacement apartments/residence halls with the Marquette Economic Club and employees attending a strategic planning discussion this week. Administrators sent out a request for qualifications (RFQs) to developers for both projects.

At several presentations this fall semester, Erickson has stressed the need to update the University Center to create a modern, welcoming facility for campus visitors and a vibrant regional conference center capable of hosting events that seat up to 900 people.

The university is also exploring a public-private partnership (PPP) for Quad 1 residence halls and the Summit/Center Street apartments. A private developer would finance, design, construct and maintain student housing on university-owned property, with NMU retaining oversight of student life activities. In a recent Campus Connect update, Gavin Leach (Finance and Administration) said many universities are taking this approach. The end result is modern, attractive housing with limited monetary investment by the university. Leach said the project could potentially be expanded to include the replacement of West and Spooner Halls.