CHAMPAIGN, Ill., (WCIA) — More learning spaces and offices are coming to Campustown. It’s to make sure the increasing number of students have a place to learn.

For now, the Gies College of Business is calling the new building the “South Campus Center for Interdisciplinary Learning” (SCCIL), and it will soon call part of Gregory Drive home. 

Jeff Brown, the Gies College of Business dean, said SCCIL will be state of the art. And that it’ll give students more places to learn and teachers more areas to work. 

It’ll go between the Business Instructional Facility (BIF) and Huff Hall in the E-12 parking lot. 

The college is excited to expand, and the parking department said they’re ready to adjust to losing one lot. 

“One of the things we’re excited about for both Gies and the campus is in terms of technology, our ability to deliver education both in traditional classroom forms, in online forms, as well as in hybrid forms,” Brown said. 

He said the addition is because of enrollment numbers. 

In the last seven years, he said the number of students has grown 150%. They’ve increased staffing as well. 

“Our faculty has grown by over 40%,” he said. “We are just out of space, but it’s for all the good reasons.”

Brown said the name “SCCIL” will later change based on donors. 

“There’s gonna be seven large capacity classrooms, seven new studios to support online education,” Brown said. “There’s going to be about 20 collaborative workspaces throughout the building, and there’s also gonna be over 80 offices for our faculty and staff.” 

He added he’s excited about a third-floor outdoor terrace looking over part of U of I. 

Many staff members currently park in the E-12 lot with permits. Maria McMullen with the university’s parking department said they’re prepared and increasing spots in a lot just blocks away. 

In November, they’ll start to demolish lot E-15 at Fourth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue near Illinois Football’s practice facility, the Henry Dale and Betty Smith Football Performance Center. 

Then, they’ll begin to build a parking garage there with 600 total spaces. McMullen said they plan to have it completed before crews begin to work on SCCIL in spring 2023. 

The new building is a $105 million project and Brown says the University is paying for 40% and Gies the other 60%. 

The parking garage is budgeted to cost $22.6 million.