NEW BEDFORD — Officials from across the state talked about what a game-changer the new marine sciences expansion will be for UMass Dartmouth and the region during a topping off ceremony in the South End on Monday.
The 76,000-square-foot building will double the capacity of the School for Marine Science & Technology on South Rodney French Boulevard and create a marine campus for the state when it opens next year. It will continue to provide responsible research to support fisheries, marine life, environmental stewardship and confront issues related to climate change, officials said.
The event represented the completion of the steel framework with the unveiling of the final beam signed by several in what Dean Steven Lohrenz called “a unique partnership.”
The $55 million project is on track and and under budget, he said, thanks to the cooperation between the the UMass Building Authority (UMBA), project manager Hill International, construction manager Bond Brothers, architect Ellenzweig Associates, and the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) that will have space on the third floor.
