image: Breaking new ground, from left: Jian-Dong Li, Director of the Institute for Biomedical Sciences; Jared Abramson, GSU Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer; GSU First Lady Dr. Bridget Blake; Marty Kemp, First Lady of Georgia; Gov. Brian Kemp; GSU President M. Brian Blake; Sonny Perdue, Chancellor of the University System of Georgia; Jon Burns, Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives; Nicolle Parsons-Pollard, GSU Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs; T. Dallas Smith; Chairman of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and Donald Hamelberg, GSU Interim Vice President for Research and Economic Development.
Credit: Courtesy: Georgia State University
ATLANTA — Georgia State University broke ground Wednesday on its new 155,000-square-foot Research Tower off Decatur Street on the university’s downtown Atlanta Campus. The state-of-the-art facility, set to be completed in 2026, will provide updated laboratories, flexible research space and modern teaching environments designed to foster innovation and collaboration.
The nine-story Research Tower represents a crucial step forward in Georgia State’s strategic commitment to research and innovation and to increasing placemaking efforts in the downtown community.
“This is more than just a physical space. This building expands our capacity for discovery and learning both at Georgia State University and in the Atlanta area,” said Georgia State President M. Brian Blake, who delivered comments at the groundbreaking ceremony for the building Jan. 15. “We’re grateful for the support that’s helped make it a reality.”
Also on hand for the groundbreaking event were Gov. Brian Kemp, Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns, Board of Regents Chairman T. Dallas Smith, University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue, and Georgia State Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Nicolle Parsons-Pollard.
“We are deeply committed to growing infrastructure that serves our students, faculty and research community,” Parsons-Pollard said. “This facility represents the next step in providing the resources needed to excel in a rapidly changing world.”
As a highly active R1 research university, research expenditures at Georgia State have more than doubled in recent years, growing from just over $91 million in 2012 to over $215 million in 2022. This growth highlights the increasing demand for research space to support Georgia State’s expanding academic programs and knowledge community.
In addition to its academic and research goals, the new Research Tower will further strengthen Georgia State’s role in driving economic growth in the region. Georgia State University contributed $3.2 billion to the metro Atlanta economy in fiscal year 2023, according to a recent study prepared for the University System of Georgia.
“The Research Tower expands both our facilities and our potential for impact,” said Donald Hamelberg, interim vice president for Research and Economic Development. “The collaborative environment allows us to drive knowledge that helps foster growth, create jobs and expand Georgia’s competitive edge in research and innovation.”