Founders Hall Progress Update | A Message from President Evans

Dear UIW Community,

Last fall, I shared with you our “first look” into Founders Hall, offering a glimpse into the design and vision for our newest building. Today, I am delighted to share a new video highlighting our construction progress since then. 

Founders Hall represents the largest renovation project in UIW history. Located on the south side of Hildebrand along Broadway, the enormous property spans 10 acres and includes a 380,000-square-foot mid-century building, parking garage and surrounding lots. Our vision is for a transformative space that not only embodies our Mission and fosters academic advancement, but that also serves as a cultural bridge, enhancing the student experience and welcoming all in our community.

As you will see, we have made important strides toward realizing that vision.

Its size, its age and its potential called for a meticulous, phased approach and careful pace for Founders Hall’s renovation. In this current phase, renovation focuses on the ground floor and the first three floors. These floors will serve as home to the Liza and Jack Lewis Center of the Americas, programs within the School of Media and Design and the School of Mathematics, Science and Engineering, UIW Health Services and the UIW Police Department. Future phases will focus on the development of floors four through nine.

I would like to thank the many members of our community who have contributed to our progress. This includes our UIW leaders, students, faculty members and staff who helped inform our planning and decision making. Let me also share my gratitude with our facilities and campus planning teams who have led the renovation effort, our finance team who has managed our judicious use of resources and financing, and our development team who has supported this transformation through extraordinary fundraising efforts that include four leadership gifts toward construction and programming totaling more than $12 million.

I look forward to sharing further progress as we move nearer to our initial opening in 2026.

Praised be the Incarnate Word!

Sincerely,
 
Thomas M. Evans, PhD
President