Image courtesy of Diller+Scofidio Renfro
Boston University indefinitely postponed plans for a new $94 million academic tower, in a reflection of the financial pressures facing the higher education sector.
The 12-story tower at 250 Bay State Road would have consolidated the Pardee School of Global Studies’ classrooms and offices, currently scattered among several buildings on the Charles River campus. The project had been scheduled to break ground in May 2026. BU spokesman Colin Riley confirmed the project will be indefinitely postponed.
“Adjusting the timeline for a project with momentum and meaning is never easy, but this pause allows the University to advance its long-term vision and mission, prioritize students and academics, and remain fiscally strong and adaptable in a changing environment,” Riley said in an email.
The school is in the midst of a $550 million building project on the Charles River campus, a renovation of the three Warren Towers dormitories.
But in July, Boston University President Melissa Gilliam announced 120 layoffs and elimination of 120 vacant positions as the result of a 5-percent cut in the university’s budget.
Designed by New York-based architects Diller+Scofidio Renfro, the Bay State Road project would have become the tallest building in Massachusetts built with mass timber framing, which is billed as an environmentally friendly alternative to steel or concrete construction.
Local higher education institutions are facing financial pressures that are forcing them to postpone or redesign building projects. Higher building project costs and potential further increases from tariffs are creating uncertainty about the financial feasibility of projects.
After receiving approval from the Boston Planning & Development Agency for six campus building projects last fall, Wentworth Institute of Technology announced changes to its real estate strategy in August.
The school now plans to partner with student housing specialist Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions on a new dorm for first-year students, with the private developer ground-leasing the Pike Residence Hall parcel.
Real estate advisors told Wentworth officials that the campus master plan approved last year was facing financial challenges, Wentworth Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration Matt Gruber said at a public meeting in August.
