The Pamplin College of Business will be getting a new home, the construction of which is expected to begin in 2020.

The new quarters will be called the Global Business and Analytics Complex and is estimated to cost $225 million. The complex comprises four new buildings: two academic buildings and two living-learning residential communities for about 700 students. The effort leverages strengths of Pamplin, other colleges and academic units, and the Data Analytics and Decision Sciences Destination Area.

“This is a terrific asset for the university,” said Pamplin Dean Robert Sumichrast. “Complementary causes came together that will give us resources to attract faculty and students interested in business and all forms of analytics. There was a university-level desire to create a data and decision analytics lab, and we were working on a replacement for Pamplin Hall and a new building for the business school — and this brings these two ideas together.”

A space to live and learn

The two academic buildings are expected to each be about 100,000 square feet and will be constructed in what are now parking areas at the southwestern corner of Prices Fork Road and West Campus Drive.

One of the academic buildings will be the administrative home to Pamplin and contain faculty office and classroom spaces.

The second building will feature open work spaces where faculty from Pamplin and other colleges will work on collaborative projects for teaching and conducting research focused on data and analytics and decision sciences.

The two residence halls, to be located across West Campus Drive and south of the Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center, will also help consolidate international programs.

“These living spaces are really well integrated into what we are trying to achieve,” Sumichrast said.

“At Pamplin, we are very interested in explaining how business can be a force for good around the world. Business can generate tremendous wealth and really help people become much more prosperous for the long term. We talk about sustainable global prosperity as the way we want to teach international business,” said Sumichrast.

Officials have initiated a feasibility study.