The University has embarked on a program of construction and renovation unprecedented in its history. Twenty-two major projects are under way or on the drawing boards, including a $60.8 million medical research building, a $66 million expansion of the hospital, the $130 million John Paul Jones Arena, and the $160 million South Lawn Project. In November 2002, Virginia voters approved a general-obligation bond measure that allowed a number of University construction initiatives to move forward, but the Commonwealth will contribute only about $95 million toward the new and refurbished buildings currently envisioned. The vast majority of the funding will come from donor support, student and patient fees, and other sources.

A number of factors are propelling this transformation of the Grounds, including a modest increase in enrollment. Our planning calls for adding from 400 to 700 students over the next six years. The University also anticipates an increase in the demand for medical services as the baby boom generation enters retirement age. But the most important force behind the University's physical expansion is our drive to sustain excellence in teaching, research, patient care, athletics, and student life. Projects under way will address a shortage of laboratory space in medicine, the sciences, and engineering, as well as inadequate facilities for the fine and performing arts. These needs were highlighted in the Virginia 2020 Commission reports, which concluded that the University must build strength in these areas if it is to retain its status as a top-25 national institution.

Moreover, the time is right for renovating existing buildings, updating outmoded facilities, and creating academic space that accommodates both formal and informal learning. Low interest rates and a soft economy present ideal conditions for addressing our capital needs. Accordingly, the University is moving vigorously to provide the facilities its programs must have to thrive. Above all, we are avoiding sprawl. We are designing buildings that make optimum use of the University's current footprint while maintaining the open space that is so much a part of our character.