Baylor Announces New Welcome Center as Part of $1.1 Billion Dollar Additions

Our friends up the highway at Baylor University have another big project in the works.

News 10 reports that Baylor has announce $1.1 billion dollar additions to the campus as a part of the university's new “Illuminate" campaign.

“Our commitment to position Baylor as the preeminent Christian research university has never been stronger,” said Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone.

“For more than 170 years, Baylor has served as a source of illumination and inspiration to communities close to home and around the globe. In pursuing the success of Illuminate, we will articulate and embody an exceptional vision for 21st-century Christian higher education and produce graduates with the wisdom, innovation and leadership skills required to make a difference in the world.”

According to KWTX, "Baylor is celebrating a gift from 1979 graduate Mark Hurd, the CEO of Oracle Corporation, and his wife Paula that will fund the 50,000- to 60,000-square foot Mark & Paula Hurd Welcome Center on University Parks Drive."

The school started fundraising for the new project back in May of 2014. The goal was to raise $500 million. The school was able to raise $540 million.

According to KWTX, "The goal is to raise $500 million for endowed faculty chairs and professorships, scholarships and 'growth priorities;' $300 million for immediate needs, the Baylor Fund, the Baylor Foundation and global learning experiences and $300 million for capital projects including renovation of the Tidwell Bible Building, the Hurd Welcome Center, an Honors Residential College, and a Research Accelerator including labs, specialized equipment, computing capacity and software.

Athletics projects include construction of a new arena to replace the 30-year-old Ferrell Center, a football operations center, and a practice venue for the school’s volleyball, acrobatics and tumbling teams."