![\"The](\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2025-01-27_OddFellowsBuildingWaterbury-3-1-300x200.jpg\")
\u201cWith the new facilities, we are strengthening our role as an educational and economic driver in the Naugatuck Valley,” she says. “We are honored to be part of this building\u2019s next chapter. Its transformation aligns with our commitment to innovation, workforce development, and community partnerships.\u201d<\/p>\n
The growth of UConn Waterbury<\/a>\u2019s campus and academic offerings complements the UConn Strategic Plan<\/a>, which includes ensuring that the campuses in Waterbury, Hartford, Stamford, and Avery Point offer signature programs that are destinations within UConn.<\/p>\n \u201cThe spirit of every UConn campus is unique, and we are looking closely at their academic offerings and facilities to best build on those strengths and opportunities, in alignment with our university-wide strategic plan,\u201d says Anne D\u2019Alleva, UConn\u2019s provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.<\/p>\n \u201cAt UConn Waterbury, the new space fits perfectly with that vision,\u201d she adds. \u201cOur academic programs and research will grow and thrive there, and further underscore UConn\u2019s role as a core element of this richly diverse, innovative city and region.\u201d<\/p>\n UConn\u2019s Board of Trustees approved the expansion plans<\/a> in 2023, which are part of a larger commitment to strengthen the University\u2019s presence and partnerships in the Naugatuck Valley.<\/p>\n They include UConn\u2019s deep involvement in the Waterbury Promise<\/a> scholarship program, under which many dozens of Waterbury graduates are attending the University; and the establishment and growth of the allied health sciences major<\/a> on the campus.<\/p>\n UConn Waterbury also prides itself on providing a tight-knit community that serves students\u2019 individual needs while ensuring they can access world-class UConn programs in undergraduate<\/a> and graduate-level<\/a> fields that lead to strong, satisfying career paths.<\/p>\n \u201cThe demand for skilled professionals is higher than ever. UConn Waterbury\u2019s expansion directly aligns with our mission to prepare students for high-demand careers, ensuring that our regional workforce remains strong and competitive,\u201d says Cathy Awwad, president and chief executive officer of the Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board (NRWIB<\/a>).<\/p>\n UConn Waterbury\u2019s new space in the building at 36 N. Main St. will also be ideal for serving current students while also advancing community partnerships with schools, the City of Waterbury, the regional business community, and other groups.<\/p>\n The six-story building, originally built for the local chapter of the International Order of Odd Fellows social group, is in a prime downtown location and dates to 1895<\/a>.<\/p>\n Its renovation was funded through a state grant to the City of Waterbury along with Green Hub\u2019s private funding. It was modernized for today\u2019s needs while retaining key elements of its history, including Venetian Gothic exterior features overlooking the Waterbury Green and the ornate ceiling in its former banquet hall.<\/p>\n “This project has been years in the making, and seeing it come to life is a testament to UConn\u2019s commitment to Waterbury and the region,\u201d says former Waterbury Mayor Neil O\u2019Leary, who was deeply involved in the project and other partnerships with the University during and after his time in office.<\/p>\n \u201cThis expansion is more than just a physical footprint; it\u2019s an investment in the next generation of healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs, and community leaders,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n The building is around the corner from UConn Waterbury\u2019s East Main Street location, with easy access between the back courtyard of the campus and an entrance to the newly leased space.<\/p>\n It will house clinical simulation spaces, clinical and cognitive neuroscience research dry and wet laboratories, a maker space, and an incubator studio.<\/p>\n It will also provide resources for humanities and social sciences, including the HACER Lab<\/a>, a hub for humanistic inquiry, research, and pedagogy developed in collaboration with Waterbury students and community partners, the Ideas + Impact<\/a> initiative and other learning communities focused on social impact, sustainability, and health-related projects.<\/p>\n These facilities will be used by programs in nursing, allied health, psychological sciences, urban and community studies, humanities and social sciences, business, and community partnerships.<\/p>\n Additionally, it will serve as the home for the Haskins Global Literacy Hub, a newly formed partnership between Yale, UConn Global Affairs, and UConn Waterbury focused on promoting education and conducting cutting-edge research to enhance literacy globally.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving UConn expand in downtown Waterbury strengthens our local economy, creates new opportunities for students, and enhances the city\u2019s reputation as a center for education and innovation. This project is a great example of how partnerships between the city, state, and private sector can drive meaningful change,\u201d Waterbury Mayor Paul Pernerewski says.<\/p>\n Programs and activities in the space will also advance UConn Waterbury\u2019s connections with local schools and others as a location for community events.<\/p>\n For instance, on a recent morning, scores of local high school students visited UConn Waterbury for the kickoff of the Waterbury Robotics Institute to be based at the campus. The initiative, a collaboration with First Robotics, will bring students from the city\u2019s high schools and middle schools to campus to work on projects with their peers, UConn students, and UConn faculty mentors.<\/p>\n They were among the first to use the newly leased space at 36 N. Main St., with several of the student groups testing and demonstrating their robots in the large collaborative learning room on the building\u2019s second floor.<\/p>\n “This expansion will have a lasting impact not only on UConn students, but also on Waterbury\u2019s middle and high schoolers who aspire to pursue careers in healthcare, technology, business, and other growing fields,\u201d says Waterbury Public Schools Interim Superintendent Darren Schwartz.<\/p>\n \u201cThe increased access to cutting-edge learning spaces and mentorship opportunities will strengthen our student college and career readiness,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n The Odd Fellows Building has a rich history in the City of Waterbury, and its restoration and use by UConn carries strong emotional and economic significance to the area.<\/p>\n Built at a cost of $100,000 and said to be among the finest of its time in the region, the building\u2019s opening in 1895 drew more than 5,000 members of the group from around the East Coast and was featured in the New York Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n In fact, the opening was marked by a parade and the event was so important to the city that all factories and schools were closed for the day, and all business shut down at noon, according to another Times article<\/a>.<\/p>\n A clothing store occupied the first floor for about its first five years in addition to the meeting rooms and social spaces used by the Odd Fellows and others on the higher floors. Later, the popular Grieve, Bissett & Holland department store was in the building from 1902 until the mid-1960s.<\/p>\n The structure had been unused for more than 15 years before the renovation.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2025-01-27_OddFellowsBuildingWaterbury-12-300x200.jpg\")