West Virginia University will celebrate a major new facility on its Evansdale Campus with the dedication of the Evansdale Greenhouse at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 20, at the new facility.
“We invite the WVU community and all of our friends and supporters to join us as we thank our partners and the generous donors who have made this facility possible for the University and the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design,” said Daniel J. Robison, dean of the Davis College.
“The Evansdale Greenhouse is a brick-and-mortar representation of so many goals of WVU’s 2020 Strategic Plan for the Future,” Robison said. “It will serve as an incubator for innovative, interdisciplinary research in the STEM disciplines, and it will enhance our learning environment for undergraduate and graduate students in a wide range of disciplines.
“I think it’s also worth mentioning that the Evansdale Greenhouse is also one of the most uniquely beautiful facilities of its kind,” Robison added.
The event will feature remarks from Robison; Barton Baker, director of the Davis College’s Division of Plant and Soil Sciences; and WVU President Jim Clements, among others. Participants will honor donors who have provided financial support to the project: John and Joyce Allen, Jim “Apples” McClelland, and the West Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association.
The celebration will take place at the Evansdale Greenhouse, located on WVU’s Evansdale campus next to Percival Hall and across the street from the South Agricultural Sciences Building. After the ceremony, light refreshments will be served and guests will be invited to tour the facility.
The event is free and open to the public. Persons with disabilities may request accommodations through the WVU Office of Disability Services at 304-293-6700 or access2@mail.wvu.edu.
The Evansdale Greenhouse is the first completed facility in a multi-year, $159.5 million building plan that is remaking the Evansdale campus and providing an economic boost far beyond its borders.
The previous greenhouse was constructed in the early 1960s. The facilities and systems were beyond their lifespan and did not meet the current or future needs of WVU’s research and academic programs. This project is a collaboration between the Davis College and the USDA Forest Service, which will occupy office, laboratory and growth space in the facility.
The new greenhouse, designed by Paradigm Architecture of Birmingham, Al., and Morgantown, will have 28,250 square feet of space. Site preparation and construction of the head house was completed by March-Westin Co. of Morgantown. Construction of the growth spaces was executed by Rough Brothers of Cincinnati. The project was overseen by John Sommers of WVU Facilities Management.
The head house, approximately 9,250 square feet, will include 5,950 square feet for wet and dry lab spaces, two academic classrooms, an office, and support spaces. The new glass greenhouse structures will have approximately 19,000 square feet to be shared by the Davis College and the Forest Service.
Private contributions in support of the Evansdale Greenhouse were made through the WVU Foundation, a private non-profit corporation that generates and provides support for WVU. In June, the Foundation launched A State of Minds: The Campaign for West Virginia’s University. The $750 million comprehensive campaign runs through December 2015.
-WVU-
dw/09/17/12
CONTACT: Lindsay Willey, Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design
304.293.2381; Lindsay.willey@mail.wvu.edu
Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.