On campus

NVRC starts to take shape as opening date approaches

Elizabeth Billman | Assistant Photo Editor

The $62.5 million complex is expected to open in January 2020.

By Gabe Stern

After years of planning and construction, the interior of the National Veterans Resource Center at Syracuse University began to take shape this summer.

The $62.5 million center is expected to open to the SU community in January 2020. The building will centralize the university’s veteran and military-related services and provide vocational and educational programming for veterans at SU and across central New York.

“What this facility really does is plant a flag for this university that we’re in this for the long haul,” said Mike Haynie, SU’s vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation, at a May press conference. “It’s something that we’re going to be committed to for the long haul.”

Significant progress was made on the complex over the summer: crews installed plumbing systems, framed the interior walls and made progress on the exterior building enclosure, according to monthly construction updates from Pete Sala, SU’s vice president and chief facilities officer.

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Eva Suppa | Digital Design Editor

Once completed, the NVRC will feature a 3,700 square-foot event space, information lab and resource centers for veterans at SU and across central New York. The facility will house the Institute for Veterans and Military Families, the university’s Reserve Officer Training Corps programs and the Office of Veteran and Military Affairs.

Military-connected students make up 5% of SU’s student body, Haynie said at the May press conference. In October, the Military Times ranked SU as the nation’s top private school and fourth-best university for veterans to attend.

The NVRC is part of SU’s Campus Framework initiative, a 20-year plan to transform facilities across campus through a wide range of construction projects. Multiple other projects are currently under construction, including the Barnes Center at The Arch, a replacement of the Carrier Dome roof and renovations to Schine Student Center. Other projects have been completed, including the $6 million installation of the University Place Promenade.





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