Project Description

The Ottawa University Gangwish Library and Gibson Student Center, part of the University’s $24.3M “Advancing the Vision” campaign, is the largest single building project ever undertaken by the University not only in terms of dollars and footprint on the campus, but also in terms of significance. The state-of-the-art facility will provide the students with an enhanced educational experience and give them the kind of facilities and technical support that will allow them to compete with anyone in the post-collegiate world. Combining the student center, library, dining hall, student lounge, and group activities into one multi-function building will contribute to the quality and activity of student life on the campus as well serve as a place for the Ottawa community as a whole to unite learning and culture, social activities, and service.

The General Contractor for this project was Loyd Builders, Inc. Ottawa University views this facility as being essential to the recruitment of new students as well as the retention of current students. Students are more discriminating and demanding than in the past, and many of them are coming from high schools where they are used to having these types of facilities. The University plans to highlight this building as the first place they showcase to potential students. The new facilities will allow them to serve 20,000 to 25,000 students in the future which is four times the number of students that they currently serve. This facility is a large first step in the plan for future expansion of the University.

 The mission of Ottawa University is to prepare students for a life of significance, and they have been doing so for 150 years. The University believes that the Gangwish Library and Gibson Student Center will be the most important building on campus. It will serve as a place of expression, interaction, group study, and community. It will give students access to technology that will prepare them to help shape the world and live lives of significance.