Washington State University broke ground on its newest academic building in Richland on March 12.

However, there’s still time to influence the 40,000-square-foot, $30 million project: Naming rights are up for grabs for the building, individual classrooms and laboratories and for various pieces of equipment—Your Name Here Mass Spectrophotometer anyone?

The “academic building,” as it is currently called, will add nine classrooms, eight laboratories, collaborative work areas, study nooks and a public gathering spot at the heart of campus. It will open in the summer of 2021 in an area just west of the Consolidated Information Center, or CIC building.

The city of Richland authorized construction in February.

The building will provide teaching, laboratory and collaborative space for undergraduate courses. Virtually every student who attends WSU Tri-Cities is expected to pass through the building—most are required to take a minimum of one or two science classes.

The project features about 3,300 square feet of public space around a grand staircase connecting the two primary floors and nearly 10,600 square feet of laboratory space for physics, biology, chemistry, anatomy/physiology and geology courses, as well as a dry lab and a multidisciplinary lab.

About 730 square feet are set aside for maintenance closets, a server room and a lactation lounge.

The 2019 Legislature set aside $27 million for the project in its capital budget.

ZGF Architects designed the project. Hoffman Construction is building it. Both companies have offices in Seattle and Portland.

For naming rights information, contact Jaime Heppler, executive director of advancement, at 509-372-7207 or [email protected].