The Peoria City Council amended the Bradley University development plan to allow for the construction of a new building along Main Street.
Bradley this summer will demolish Baker Hall, which houses the business college. In its place, the university will construct a building that will allow instruction for both business and engineering courses.
Bradley President Gary Roberts told the Peoria City Council last night the project will include $85 million in construction costs. He also told the council members of the economic benefit Bradley provides the community with its annual $160 million budget.
“Half of that $160 million pays the salary of our faculty and staff that gets spent in central Illinois. Most of the rest gets spent on services and goods and services provided by businesses here in central Illinois,” Roberts said.
The five-story building, to be known as the Convergence Center, will open in the fall of 2019. The current Baker and Jobst Halls will be torn down as part of the project. It will allow the business and engineering colleges to better share knowledge, so students are better prepared for the workplace. The council okayed a change in Bradley’s development plan to allow the project to move forward.