NAC nearing completion as faculty, staff prepare for fall opening

After breaking ground on the North Academic Commons (NAC) more than two years ago, Central Washington University is preparing to move into its new state-of-the-art structure this spring.

Faculty and staff will begin occupying the 106,000-square-foot, four-story facility in mid-June as they prepare for the building’s official grand opening in the fall.

Following months of collaboration between Capital Planning and Projects, Facilities Management, the CAH and COTS deans and departments, and the Provost’s Office, crews will begin moving faculty and staff offices the week of June 15.

The departments that will be relocating to the NAC include History, Political Science, Law and Justice, Sociology, English, Philosophy, World Languages and Cultures, and the College of Arts and Humanities Dean’s Office.

Some individuals may begin occupying the NAC before the end of spring quarter, but most of the move-in activities will take place after the June 13 Commencement ceremony. 

Priority will be given to Law and Justice and Political Science so they can move out of Farrell Hall, which will be demolished this summer. The Language and Literature building (L&L) building was also torn down in 2024 to make room for the NAC, located next to Brooks Library.

“We can’t wait for CWU faculty, staff, and students to begin experiencing this beautiful, one-of-a-kind building that will be a focal point of recruiting and retention,” said Director of Capital Planning and Projects Delano Palmer, who has led the NAC project alongside Construction Manager Joe Chanes. “We are very proud of what we have accomplished on behalf of the entire CWU community, and we look forward to this building becoming a centerpiece on our campus for decades to come.”

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold facility, with a total cost of $108 million, was designed by the architecture team of NAC/Opsis and built by Garco Construction. 

The first-of-its-kind project in Washington was funded by the Washington Legislature in 2023 and 2024, and features a Geo Eco Plant that will heat and cool the structure by harnessing the renewable heat emitted from the Ellensburg Aquifer directly underneath campus.

One of the more notable features in the NAC is a 240-seat TED Talks-style auditorium, a mock courtroom, cross-laminated timber beams supplied by Yakama Nation Forest Products, a full array of solar panels mounted on the roof, and two large skylights and ceiling-to-floor window panels to maximize the presence of natural light.

“Building something that students will have life-defining experiences in, meet friends and loved ones they’ll cherish for the rest of their lives — that’s what gets me excited about the NAC,” Palmer said. “We’re not doing this for ourselves but for all the future students who will call this building home.”

An official grand opening for the NAC will take place in the fall, and details will be announced in the coming months.