Campus Buildings Construction Dates

Key dates prior to construction:

1960 — Acts of 1960, Chapter 543 creates SMTI, whose board of trustees worked to consolidate New Bedford Institute of Technology and Bradford Durfee College of Technology and to plan for a new campus at North Dartmouth site.

1960 — General Court appropriated $1.5 million to be used for the acquisition of a campus site and development of the initial architectural plans.

1963 — Arthur D. Little, a consulting firm, conducted a demographic study of and higher educational needs for southeastern Massachusetts.

1963 — General Court appropriated $6 million to begin construction by June 14, 1964.

1964, June 14 — Groundbreaking for SMTI campus in North Dartmouth. Construction on Group I Academic Building begins

Construction dates for buildings:

Liberal Arts or LARTS (Group I Academic Building)

• Groundbreaking June 14, 1964
• Dedication June 5, 1966
• Closed for renovations beginning May 2025

Science and Engineering Building (Group II)

• Construction began June 1966
• Completed April 1969 (estimated)
• Renovations conducted, 2021-2022

Textile Technology Building

• Construction began April 1967
• Completed Sept. 1969

Research Building (Violette Building)

• Completed Oct. 1969
• Renamed June 3, 1979

John E. Foster Administration Building

• Construction began Oct. 1968
• Completed Sept. 1970 (estimated date)
• Dedication May 27, 1972

Francis Tripp Athletic Center (“Physical Education Building”)

• Begun 1969
• Completed December 1971
• Dedicated and renamed May 27, 1979

William “Biff” MacLean Campus Center (“Lecture halls and auditorium”)

• Begun October 1968
• Completed Fall 1971
• Renamed the William Q. MacLean Campus Center Sept. 1991

Claire T. Carney Library (originally the Library Communications Center)

• Groundbreaking November 26, 1969
• Completed 1972 (opened March 13, 1972)
• Renovated 2011-2013

Campanile

• Completed May 1971 (see Torch may 14, 1971) 200ft. tall with a 40-foot antenna

Resident‘s Dining Hall (Now The Marketplace)

• Begun April 1970
• Completed 1977
• Repurposed as an event space “The Marketplace” in 2023

Residence halls

• Phase I and II completed Sept. 1973
• Demolished 2022

Chestnut Hall 

• Construction started 1971
• Opened 09/1972

Roberts Hall 

• Construction started 1971
• Opened 09/1972

Elmwood Hall 

• Construction started 1976
• Opened 09/1976

Maple Ridge Hall 

• Construction started 1976
• Opened 09/1976

Cedar Dell West 

• Construction started 1988
• Opened 09/1988

Cedar Dell South 

• Construction started 1988
• Opened 1989
• Renovated and reopened over the Labor Day weekend in 2007

Oakglen Hall 

• Construction started 2001
• Opened 09/2002

Pinedale Hall 

• Construction started 2001
• Opened 09/2002

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Amphitheater

• Dedication May 6, 1978

C. Norman Dion Science and Engineering Building

• Groundbreaking Oct. 21, 1985
• Dedicated May 1989

Cedar Dell Residence Halls

• Groundbreaking May 8, 1987
• Open House Oct. 1989
• Renovations began March 28, 2007
• Reopened over the Labor Day weekend (2007)

Visual and Performing Arts Building (Group VI)

• Groundbreaking April 25, 1975
• Completed spring 1977

Center for Marine Science

• 706, South Rodney French Blvd, New Bedford, MA, 02744
• Groundbreaking November 1995
• Dedicated October 6, 1997

Star Store Center for the Arts

• Renovations began May 2000
• Opened for classes September 2001
• UMass Dartmouth withdraws from the Star Store Fall 2023

Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (formerly Advanced Technology & Manufacturing Center, or ATMC)

151 Martine Street, Fall River, MA 02723 (Kerr Mill site)

• Renovations began: Sept 2000
• Center dedicated: Nov 14,2001
• Renamed October 23, 2015

UMass Dartmouth Fall River Professional and Continuing Education Center

139 South Main Street, Fall River, MA, 02721

• Renovations: Feb 2002 to Sept 2002
• Classes Began: Sept 9^th 2002
• Grand Opening: Oct 29^th 2002

UMass Dartmouth Professional and Continuing Education Center

800 Purchase St. (former Cherry and Webb Building) New Bedford, MA

• Opened September 2004
• Grand opening September 30, 2004

Charlton College for Business

• Groundbreaking September 28, 2001
• Construction began January 2004
• Dedicated October 1,2004

Woodland Commons Residence Halls

• Ground broken summer 2004

Botulinum Research Center

• Groundbreaking September 13, 2005
• Grand Opening April 5, 2007

James Kaput Center for Research and Innovation in Mathematics Education

200 Mill Road, Suite 150B, Fairhaven, MA

• Creation Announced by UMassD on May 9, 2007
• Facility opened September 14, 2007

SMAST East, Clark’s Cove, New Bedford

64,000 square foot building housing research labs and the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries.

Opened September 29, 2017.

First Year Residence and The Grove Dining Complex (Balsam and Spruce Halls)

Groundbreaking November 30 2018.

Opened Fall of 2021.

Built to house 1,210 1st-year students. The Grove, the dining complex connecting the 2 halls, seats 800.

Compiled by Judy Farrar, Archives and Special collections librarian.