The largest public-private partnership (P3) social infrastructure project in U.S. history was completed in less than four years. The 1.2-million-gross-square-foot Merced campus expansion, known as UC Merced 2020, was officially delivered to the University of California on June 1.

The USD 1.3 billion project includes student housing, classrooms, teaching and research space, student wellness and counseling facilities, and recreational spaces. Delivery occurred in three phases, beginning in mid-July 2018, with the second phase finished in mid-2019.

The P3 development team, which banded together under the name of Plenary Properties Merced (PPM), was led by developer and equity provider Plenary in partnership with Webcor; Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, the lead campus planner; and Johnson Controls Inc, which is responsible for operations and maintenance.

The UC Merced 2020 project has been recognized with numerous awards, including the 2017 Infrastructure Journal Global Award, a 2016 P3 Award, a Public Sector Champion Award from the Performance-Based Building Coalition, and a 2017 award for P3 Social Infrastructure Project of the Year.

The project is the first in the UC system to use a single private development team for a multi-year, multi-building project of this scope. Plenary Properties Merced (PPM) not only designed and built all of the new facilities as a single, fast-track project but will also ensure major building systems operate effectively over the 39-year term of the contract.