UToledo announces updated campus master plan

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - The University of Toledo has announced its updated campus master plan.

The UToledo Board of Trustees approved a resolution on Feb. 28 in support of the 2024 plan that would update the core of main campus around Centennial Mall and invest in both clinical and student spaces on the Health Science Campus.

“This is an investment in UToledo’s future to ensure our beautiful campus continues to support our growing strengths in STEM-H educational programs, high-quality patient care, cutting-edge research and championship athletics,” said UToledo President Gregory Postel. “We look forward to celebrating these campus improvements in the years ahead and the positive impact they will have on attracting students and faculty to campus and engaging with our community.”

According to UToledo, a new welcome center and a new state-of-the-art science building are among the investments in the proposed campus master plan.

The welcome center would provide a front door to the university off Bancroft Street connected to Scott and Tucker Halls while moving the student support services closer to the heart of campus. The science building is planned for the space where the current Health and Human Services Building is on the east side of Centennial Mall. The new building would feature state-of-the-art classrooms, lab and research areas and be the new home for the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

UToledo says adding these new buildings provides opportunities to relocate some health education-focused programs to the Health Science Campus and move other departments to existing campus buildings that would be renovated to accommodate them. The College of Health and Human Services offices would move to Gillham Hall.

The updated campus master plan also includes components of the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics’ strategic plan, Rise Together, renovations to the Student Union on Main Campus, renovations to Mulford Library to serve as a student union on Health Science Campus and improvements to Carlson Library on Main Campus.

UToledo says Rocket Hall, Bowman-Oddy Hall and Wolfe Hall will all be razed.

This plan is an update to the University’s previous 10-year campus master plan, approved in 2017, that was the first comprehensive plan since the 2006 merger between UToledo and the former Medical College of Ohio.

“This update to our campus master plan will reenergize the heart of campus by strategically pulling inward the core operations of UToledo around our Centennial Mall and improving the campus experience,” said Jason Toth, senior associate vice president for administration, facilities and construction, and supply chain. “We are excited to start this collaborative process across all our partners at the University to achieve this new vision for our campus and support our new strategic plan and campus leadership, students, patients, faculty, staff and visitors to our beautiful campus.”

UToledo has completed approximately 75% of what was laid out in the first half of that plan, including building the new public safety building that opened in 2020, razing the Transportation Center in 2021 and Carter Hall in 2022, improving the pedestrian bridge by Savage Arena and adding a kayak launch area to the Ottawa River walk in 2019. Centennial Mall underwent an extensive enhancement project in 2021 and the North Engineering high-bay renovations were celebrated in 2023.

UToledo says the plan will be phased in during the next five years and is expected to be a $300 million to $400 million investment.

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