Plenary Properties Merced (PPM) has announced it has reached financial close on the next major phase of campus development at the University of California, Merced (US)

The UC Merced 2020 Project is a four-year project that will nearly double the physical capacity of the campus by 2020. The US$1.338 billion project will include new teaching facilities, research laboratories, student housing, faculty offices, and athletics, dining and student life amenities. The ultimate result will be a sustainable campus that can accommodate 10,000 students.

In November 2015 we reported that the Regents of the University of California had authorized the RFP for the project. In May 2015, the shortlisted team were:

• E3 2020:  Balfour Beatty Investments, Inc.
• Edgemoor Plenary EdR Partners (EP2): Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate LLC, Plenary Group USA Ltd., and Education Realty Trust, Inc.
• Merced Campus Collaborative: Lend Lease (US) Investments, Inc., Macquarie Capital Group Limited and American Campus Communities, Inc.

In June 2016, Plenary consortium was named preferred bidder for the project. The consortium will not only design and build 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. 

To accommodate changing needs over time, the design and construction approaches are flexible and highly adaptable, helping the campus achieve long-term life-cycle and sustainability goals

Construction will begin in Fall 2016 and is expected to be complete in 2020.