By Lindsey Coulter

The University of Missouri–Kansas City continues advancing several major construction and renovation projects across campus, with work underway on academic, student-support and administrative facilities tied to the university’s strategic goals.

Current projects include the Healthcare Delivery and Innovation Building at 25th and Charlotte��streets��and renovations to the Atterbury Student Success Center.��Additional��projects expected to begin construction this year include the expansion of the Conservatory’s Olson Performing Arts Center and renovations to the UMKC Administrative Center.����

Healthcare Delivery and Innovation Building��

The 160,000-square-foot Healthcare Delivery and Innovation Building��remains��the largest capital improvement project in UMKC history.����

According to the university, the project reached a major��milestone��Sept. 17 when crews placed the final structural beam after a signing ceremony involving elected officials, university leadership, students,��faculty��and staff.����

Construction crews are continuing interior and exterior work throughout the facility. Interior wall framing is progressing, while drywall installation, piping insulation and overhead��mechanical,��electrical, plumbing and fire-protection systems continue advancing. Exterior work includes completion of penthouse metal panels, curtain wall installation,��roofing��and remaining fire-hydrant connections.����

The building is expected to open in 2027.����

Atterbury Student Success Center��

Renovations at the Atterbury Student Success Center began in May 2025 and are expected to conclude in summer 2026.����

The university reported that walls and ceilings are��nearly fully��installed, while carpet installation, painting and finish work are underway. Construction at the building’s north entry is expected to continue into the first part of summer.����

Once complete, the renovated facility will house Admissions, the UMKC School of Graduate Studies, the Center for Transfer Students and Adult Learners, Roo Advising, Career Services, University��College��and International Student Affairs. Plans also include a Welcome Center with a two-story atrium intended to host prospective students and their families.����

Career Services programming will also expand to include a Professional Wardrobe Studio, providing students with access to professional clothing options and interview headshots. UMKC Central and the Financial Wellness Center will��relocate��from the Administrative Center into the renovated building as part of the project.����

Olson Performing Arts Center Expansion��

UMKC Chancellor Mauli Agrawal announced during the 2025 State of the University that the Olson Performing Arts Center expansion is expected to break ground in 2026.����

The 35,000-square-foot addition will add performance and rehearsal spaces on the east side of the building extending toward Volker Boulevard.����

University officials said the project will increase performance, classroom and collaboration opportunities for students and the Kansas City community. The first phase of construction is estimated at $35 million and includes a large music ensemble performance and rehearsal space, two dance rehearsal rooms, support space for the dance program and a new accessible black box performance venue.����

According to the university, the black box addition will help create a “theatre district” alongside White Recital Hall, Spencer��Theatre��and the McIlrath Lobby.����

The second phase will renovate existing facilities, including White Recital Hall, to create��additional��classroom and theatre space as well as expanded student collaboration areas.��

UMKC Administrative Center Renovation��

Renovations to the UMKC Administrative Center are expected to begin in late spring and conclude in winter 2027.����

The project will focus on the building’s front exterior and first floor, including accessibility improvements such as removing stairs in the entryway and lobby and adding accessible parking spaces.����

Interior renovations include a refreshed lobby and new reception desk. As part of the changes, UMKC Central will��relocate��to the Atterbury Student Success Center, while its former Administrative Center space will become an alumni reception area and office suite for the UMKC Foundation.����

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By Michelle Smyth, AIA, ALEP, LEED AP, NCARB��

Performing arts centers are more than performance halls. In the right hands, they become daily learning environments that spark creativity,��collaboration��and critical thinking. Across the country, school leaders are recognizing that arts education plays a pivotal role in preparing students for the future. In fact, students involved in the arts are����to earn academic recognition, and arts participation strengthens the skills students will use in every career.��

Richland 2 School District in Richland County, S.C., is putting that belief into practice. With more than 27,000 students, 81% of whom are already engaged in arts programs, the district created a campus anchored by a����that blends STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) and the arts into a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) learning environment.����

The 1,175-seat theater hosts events of all types from classical music concerts to modern drama, while black box and dance studios double as instructional spaces. A welcoming, spacious lobby and outdoor performance areas extend the building’s reach into the community, ensuring it stays active well beyond the school day. These spaces may also be used for performances or��displays��and celebrations of student artwork.��

The Richland 2 School District’s approach shows that a performing arts center can be both an academic tool and a civic gathering place — but achieving that balance starts long before design development. The decisions made early in the process��determine��whether a facility can support student learning while��remaining��a destination for the community over its lifetime.����

Early Decisions That Shape Success��

The most successful performing arts centers start with careful planning long before construction begins. Creating a vision for the building that speaks to its action and service to��students��and the community may be fostered from stakeholder engagement at the beginning of the planning process.��

Site placement, adjacencies, circulation, and phasing all influence how well a building will serve students and the public over time. Some of the best designs consider how the space functions during the school day, supports after-hours use and adapts as programs grow.��

Schools with strong arts programs typically have higher attendance rates for both students and teachers, a benefit Lexington County, S.C., School District One sought in its White Knoll High School expansion. Initially, the plan was to build the performing arts center beside an existing classroom wing. Early in the process, however, the design team recommended a different approach: placing the facility in the center of campus.��

This single decision allowed the performing arts center and a two-story classroom wing to be built simultaneously. The approach��collapsed��a phased construction plan, saved a full year on the��schedule��and avoided the cost of��relocating��portables. The 1,000-seat theater now offers professional-quality performance space, while the adjacent classrooms house science labs, CTE programs and collaboration areas.����

Locating the performing arts center at the center of campus shortened travel times for students, improved safety by��consolidating��access points and kept construction on schedule while adding new academic facilities. It also��showcased��their new performing arts program in the heart of their campus.��

Designing for Flexibility and Community Impact��

Location is only one part of the equation.��Designing for��flexibility ensures the facility serves not just the school, but the wider community. That means creating spaces that can shift between school assemblies, professional productions,��conferences��and community events. It also means providing students with opportunities to learn both on stage and behind the scenes.��

Lexington 2 School District’s new performing arts center builds skills through both performance and technical training. The 1,500-seat theater features a full orchestra pit, manual rigging, overhead catwalks, and backstage support spaces from dressing rooms to a catering kitchen. Students gain practical experience in lighting,��rigging��and stage management that can carry into college or career pathways.��

The two-story grand lobby, lit by customizable color-changing fixtures, welcomes audiences for both school and community events. With spaces designed to host everything from district assemblies to regional performances, the center reinforces the idea that a performing arts center can be both a teaching tool and a cultural anchor.��

See more images and read more about transforming vision��into��long-term��value��in the November/December 2025 Technology edition of �Ӱ�ԭ��ҕ�l.��

Michelle Smyth, AIA, ALEP, LEED AP, NCARB, is a Principal at McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture and a member of the �Ӱ�ԭ��ҕ�l Editorial Advisory Board.��

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Elliot Cox, a security analyst for the university, explained in a statement that the Rave Guardian app can turn any student, staff or faculty cell phone into a mobile personalized blue light device. “It does everything that an emergency blue light phone does now, and that allows the user to do touch-of-a-button calls to Boise State campus security as well as to the Ada County Dispatch Center," Cox said.

Boise State University is Idaho’s largest university, with a campus that spans 175 acres. To reduce the potential safety challenges posed by the large and spread-out campus, the app allows users to create a virtual safety network of friends, roommates, family and campus safety officials. For example, any student navigating the campus alone can set a safety timer session that, once activated, allows "personal guardians" within that virtual safety network to monitor the user’s status updates and location. If the timer expires or if the user initiates a panic call, the app will automatically notify campus safety officials.

In the event of an emergency, a special button on a user’s mobile device can also connect immediately to campus safety, and a rich profile of the caller and their GPS location is automatically displayed. The student-created safety profiles can provide details such as residence address and medical condition information, which are automatically presented to campus safety officials during emergency calls. The app further allows Boise State users to communicate anonymously if they choose with campus safety officials via two-way messaging.

"We are continuing to see strong momentum with schools recognizing the benefits that Rave Guardian offers to campuses of all sizes," said Tom Axbey, CEO of Rave Mobile Safety, in a statement. "Our Guardian App enables colleges to empower their community with a direct link to campus safety, increasing safety for everyone. We are very pleased to be able to bring greater protection to Idaho’s largest institution of higher learning."
 

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