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UND to vacate Columbia Hall within 12–15 months; medical school to absorb space and face a 6,000 sq ft shortfall
Summary
UND told the committee it must vacate Columbia Hall within roughly a year to 15 months, moving about 23,000 square feet into the existing medical school building and leaving an estimated 6,000 square feet short for researchers, postdocs and teaching labs.
Marjorie Jenkins, vice president and dean of the School of Medicine at UND, told the Appropriations - Education and Environment Division that Columbia Hall must be vacated within the next 12 to 15 months and that the medical school will need to relocate 23,000 square feet of occupied space into existing medical-school facilities.
“The medical school will be vacating Columbia Hall within the next 12 to 15 months. We have currently occupied space of 23,000 square feet, and moving them over to the current school of medicine building. We will still be about 6,000 square feet short,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins and President Armacost described the move as a significant space and program challenge for UND’s medical teaching and research. Jenkins said the relocation will affect researchers, postdoctoral staff, graduate students and undergraduate courses—specifically anatomy, physiology and microbiology classes that serve 800 to 1,000 undergraduates and pre-health students. UND is looking at renovating other campus space and exploring temporary rental options in the community (including discussions with local health system Altru).
Carla Stewart, UND’s vice president for finance and operations, said the university has begun a fundraising and design plan for a permanent addition. Jenkins told the committee UND plans a project estimated at $95,000,000 for an addition including steam-line work; the university has committed roughly $40,000,000 from local funds and philanthropy and expects to run a capital campaign. If design and fundraising proceed now, officials estimated a move-in for operations in mid to late 2029.
Committee members asked UND to return with a minimum funding list describing what would be needed to start design work, demolition, and early phases so UND could demonstrate state investment to private donors. UND officials said they would provide the committee that cost breakdown.
Fire-department inspections and ongoing remediation were also discussed; UND said the Grand Forks Fire Department notified the university in July and that UND has been providing monthly progress reports as it works on interim corrective measures and planning for relocation.
