Goldey-Beacom College broke ground Wednesday on a $30 million campus expansion and renovation project.
The project includes the construction of William A. Franta Hall, a new five-story residence hall featuring single and double dormitory-style rooms, study rooms and lounges on each floor, a security office on the first floor and many more amenities for students.
Campus expansion and renovations will include new dining services, a campus store and a redesigned student lounge in the Joseph West Jones Center.
The Athletic Department, also housed in the Jones Center, will undergo major renovations resulting in a larger fitness center, additional locker rooms and an expanded training space for the college’s 13 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II athletics teams.
“We’ve talked about this for several years now. Our trends have shown strong undergraduate enrollment growth since 2015 – a sharp 30 percent increase in very few years,” said Goldey-Beacom President Dr. Gary Wirt.
“While it was necessary to construct a new residence hall, it was just as important to plan for expanded services and amenities to best serve our students,” Wirt stated. The college anticipates ongoing annual growth. The addition of William A. Franta Hall, combined with the existing four residence halls, will enable the College to house close to 500 students on campus.
Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Mark Olazagasti stated, “I am proud of the college, the trustees, the staff and the EDiS Company team who are working diligently on this project. I am ecstatic over the growth in student population and the construction of William A. Franta Hall, and it is important to me as a former student, to make sure we provide each resident a comfortable, state-of-the-art living facility in a safe and secure environment.”
Olazagasti continued, “I am especially grateful to the Franta family for their generous $2 million bequest. Anyone who knew William A. Franta – he was a former chairman of the board– knew how much he loved the college. To honor the college, his widow Virginia Franta, left the college a substantial bequest. Present at the groundbreaking today were their children, Richard A. Franta, and Rosalyn Franta Kulik. They certainly created a legacy by naming the William A. Franta Hall.”
Founded in 1886, Goldey-Beacom offers graduate and undergraduate degrees with majors in psychology, economics, criminal justice, English, and all areas of business. With alumni from 26 states and 66 nations, Goldey-Beacom College is located in Pike Creek Valley, a suburb of Wilmington.
The college is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs.
