Florida Polytechnic University building $15M engineering facility as student enrollment grows

LAKELAND, Fla. - Florida Polytechnic University is expanding. 

Since opening its doors about a decade ago, the school’s body has grown by the hundreds, and it needs more facilities on campus. 

University officials broke ground Thursday morning on the $15M Gary C. Wendt Engineering building, which will be 40,000 square feet, two stories tall, and will house hands-on research and development labs. 

It'll be the third academic facility on campus and will be located on the northwest side between the BARC and the IFF Global Citrus Innovation Center. 

Rendering of the Gary C. Wendt Engineering building. 

"In terms of the state of Florida, technology is a big driver of economic development," said Randy Avent, president of the university. "The university as we grow the students and grow the impact, it's going to help the university in the state of Florida establish itself in the tech industry." 

READ: Florida Polytechnic University students build solar racing car for national competition

The university's first class had about 400 students and this year's class has quadrupled to around 1,600.

"Over the next few years, we expect to get up to about 2500 students," said Avent. 

A new student residence hall that is currently being built will add 400 beds as demand grows. It's expected to be completed in the next few months. 

School officials broke ground on the $15M engineering building on Thursday. 

Brennan Halsey, a physics engineering student, says the new facility gives students another way to explore the sciences.

"Giving students more spaces to explore different areas in engineering, environmental, and computer science is super important just for their student experiences and their future as a whole," said Halsey. 

Gary C. Wendt is a former trustee who has contributed $2 million and has been involved with the university since 2017. 

The engineering building is expected to be completed by the summer of next year.

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