Built in 1968, the Andrew G. Clark Building on Colorado State University’s campus is due for a revitalization. In part due to its age, Clark is a class location for 99% of students at CSU at least once in their academic journey, making it the most heavily used building on CSU’s main campus.

Seven of the eight colleges use Clark for classes, and “its maintenance has become a significant drain on university resources,” College of Liberal Arts Dean Benjamin Withers wrote in an email to CLA staff. 

This well-worn building is finally getting the renovations and refurbishments it likely needs after over half a century of use and almost 10 years of students advocating for renovations and updates to the building, wrote Beth Etter, director of communications with the CLA. 

“Clark is a priority for the university, and with this revitalization, Clark will become a transformational building,” Withers said. “It will feature cutting-edge spaces and technology for student learning, including a Student Success Center and flexible spaces designed to encourage students and employees to gather and collaborate.”

The Clark project has been discussed since 2018 by Withers and others across campus. In 2019 leadership involved with the college worked with Facilities Management to plan and get cost estimates for the project. 

Those plans were then submitted to the university president and Board of Governors, and the project was then approved, Etter wrote. 

“Clark is at the heart of our campus in many ways — its physical location and also its importance to our institutional academic priorities.” -Benjamin Withers, College of Liberal Arts dean

The first round of funding for the project, $38 million from the state of Colorado, was received in April 2022. This funding was used to do an analysis of space needs and get more accurate cost estimates, among other tasks. 

Due to an exponential increase in building costs seen globally, these new estimates put the project at about a totally projected cost of $210 million instead of an original $136 million estimate.

The university then made the decision in August to keep the total project expense at $136 million and adjust the construction plans. These new budget constraints have led to the postponement of the Clark C revitalizations, according to a CSU SOURCE article. 

“Approximately half the costs of the revitalization will be from state capital construction funds and half from the university bonding and other measures, including $11 million in private gifts,” Etter wrote. “The state of Colorado has authorized appropriations of $62 million dollars thus far (approved in spring 2022 and spring 2023). We expect another year or two of state appropriations.”

The construction efforts will now focus entirely on Clark A and Clark B, Etter wrote. 

Clark A will go entirely offline January 2024, and renovations will begin. Updates will include a primary focus on accessibility in the interior as well as with new entrances to the building. Twelve restrooms within the building will be renovated to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards. 

Regarding a rather iconic part of the exterior of the building, the Clark A “brise soleil” architecture (the wine rack circles on the outside of the building) will be removed with the renovation. 

Clark B will receive an entirely different kind of upgrade. The current bridge structure that makes up the B wing will be demolished in 2024, and a brand-new four-story building will take its place. New connections between all three buildings will also be constructed. 

“The new addition of Clark B will help address long-standing space deficiencies, allowing for programs to be brought together, along with new general assignment classrooms and locations for CLA research centers,” Etter wrote.

“Clark is at the heart of our campus in many ways — its physical location and also its importance to our institutional academic priorities,” Withers said.

Reach Samy Gentle at news@collegian.com or on Twitter  @samy_gentle_.