NMU Receives State Funding for Business Building

As part of Michigan's 2027 fiscal year budget that was approved by the Legislature Friday, July 3rd, Northern Michigan University received Construction Authorization for the Northern Enterprise Center, which will house the NMU College of Business. The total cost of the project is estimated to be $22.98m.

Governor Whitmer is expected to sign the state budget in the coming days. Once signed, NMU will move forward with construction plans for the 30,000 square foot building that will be an addition to the already existing Hedgcock Building in the center of campus.

"The new College of Business building will be a gateway to the academic mall at Northern Michigan University," said Dr. Tom Isaacson, interim dean of the College of Business. "It will benefit our students, faculty and staff by providing a physical space that helps us build community with internal and external stakeholders. Our faculty have worked hard over many years advocating for this space, and future NMU students will benefit from it."

The building will feature multiple classrooms, offices, meeting spaces, study and work spaces for students and new cyber security labs for a quickly growing program. The building will be focused on interaction and learning for students.

"This project has been a university priority for a number of years and to secure the funding from the state is a big step to bringing this beneficial project to reality," said Gavin Leach, executive vice president for Finance and Administration. "We appreciate the efforts of Governor Whitmer, the Michigan Senate and House, and especially the U.P.'s legislative delegation for helping to bring this student-centered project to fruition."

A timeline for construction has not been set yet.