FGCU to break ground on new water school building

People from 16 different programs including engineering, business, health and psychology will work under one roof to understand our water problems.

More than 200 business leaders, environmental advocates, faculty and students gathered Thursday on one of the last undeveloped spots on campus to celebrate Florida Gulf Coast University's Water School.

"The Water School is going to be an anchor and a significant part of who we are and continue to become," FGCU president Mike Martin told the crowd. "There's no more profound set of issues facing the future of this region than what we do on water, therefore a regional university ought to make sure it's a player in that."

The 116,000-square-foot, $58 million building will be the largest on campus, Martin said, and is scheduled to be completed in 2021.

"Everything that we do in art and music and hydrology and engineering and other (disciplines) involves water, so it cuts across the entire university and engages us all," Martin said.