Two Delaware companies chosen to lead development of new UD campus

The University of Delaware has released more details about its future campus at the site of the former Chrysler manufacturing plant in Newark.

The STAR campus (Science, Technology and Advanced Research) will be developed through a strategic partnership with Delle Donne and Associates and Bancroft Construction Company, both based in Delaware.

At a town hall meeting Tuesday focusing on the project, university officials said the first phase of the project gets underway this summer with construction, which will be finished by the fall of 2013.  The existing Chrysler administration building will be expanded and renovated.  UD’s College of Health Sciences and other health and nursing-related institutions will be among the first to occupy portions of the 230-thousand square-foot facility.

“Our vision is to create an innovative and comprehensive signature campus that advances how we build a strong health care workforce and create healthy communities to meet the growing state, regional and national demand for health care professionals,” College of Health Sciences Dean Kathleen Matt said. 

The lease agreement with Delle Donne and Bancroft will also identify future tenants for the facility, focusing on health, energy, environmental, scientific and defense-related industries and start-ups. 

“Our goal is to align the University with partners possessing the right combination of real estate, design, development, construction and financing expertise and experience,” UD Director of Real Estate Andy Lubin said.

Another portion of the former Chrysler site is being developed into Bloom Energy’s east coast hub, where it will manufacture fuel cells known as “Bloom boxes” that will convert natural gas into electric power.