Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan visited the construction site of Carmen D. and James R. Campbell Hall on Tuesday, January 18, to announce his proposal of a $2.7 billion jobs and projects plan, which includes $213.8 million for the University of Minnesota.
Campbell Hall, the new home of the Institute of Child Development (ICD), was also the first site Walz visited in 2019 for his public building project proposal.
“This project was the one we highlighted as the first place we wanted to stop and one that needed to be done,” Walz said. “The world-class research that’s done here on our children and for our children fits in perfectly with what the lieutenant governor and I oftentimes talk about – we want Minnesota to be the best place in the country for children to thrive in.”
ICD received $29.2 million from the state in 2020 to update its existing facilities. The last major renovation to the ICD building was in 1960. As a former ICD student, Lt. Gov. Flanagan experienced the limitations of the outdated facility first-hand.
“I graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in child psychology and American Indian studies. I walked the halls as a student here,” she said. “I had meetings with my graduate student advisor while sitting on the floor because there wasn’t enough room in the overcrowded office to be able to meet. So seeing this space is just truly remarkable. We know there was insufficient space and dated resources, which really kind of held back not only our students themselves but really the future around young people.”
Construction of Campbell Hall is expected to be completed in August 2022 at a total cost of $43.8 million. In addition to state funding, the project has been supported by the generosity of many private donors, including U of M alumni and lead donors Carmen D. and James R. Campbell, the building’s namesake. CEHD and ICD are grateful for their support.
More information about Walz’s proposal can be found on the Minnesota Management and Budget website.
More information about the Campbell Hall project can be found on the College of Education and Human Development website.
