The Carlson School broke ground on Herbert M. Hanson, Jr. Hall on Sept. 28. The new facility will serve the school’s growing Undergraduate program and will be the premier undergraduate building in the country when it opens in 2008.

Construction kicked off with words of encouragement and support from University of Minnesota President Robert Bruininks, Dean Davis-Blake, benefactor Herbert M. Hanson, Jr., U of M Regent and Carlson School alum Frank Berman, and College of Liberal Arts Dean Steven Rosenstone. The event featured a virtual tour of the new building led by undergraduate students, shown on a 30-foot-high computer screen.

Hanson Hall takes its name from alum Herbert M. Hanson, Jr., who jump-started the building campaign with a $10 million pledge in 2004. “My education here at the U of M changed my life,” said Hanson, to a crowd of 250 people who gathered for the groundbreaking ceremony. “It’s important that future generations of students benefit from their education in the same way that I’ve benefited from mine. I’m honored and humbled to play a role in the Carlson School’s history and in its future.”

In spring 2006, the Minnesota State Legislature granted $26.6 million in funding to the Carlson School as part of the University's bonding bill request. The support signals a commitment to the Carlson School’s well-regarded Undergraduate program. "Most of the money for national business school bricks-and-mortar over the past decade has gone to buildings and spaces serving graduate students,” said Dean Davis-Blake. “The support for this building has been outstanding.”

At the Carlson School, demand by applicants has consistently exceeded the school’s capacity. In response, the school is already ramping up admissions. This fall, the Carlson School welcomed 425 freshmen, up from 300 admitted last year. Demand also increased. For the third consecutive year, applications rose by more than 30 percent. Hanson Hall will allow the Carlson School to serve at least 50 percent more students by 2008 and will also provide a home to the College of Liberal Arts Department of Economics.

“This project will bring bright and talented students to the University of Minnesota, keep them a part of our community, and facilitate high-quality student services,” said President Bruininks. “It also will allow us to recruit top-flight faculty in business and economics. It’s an exciting project, and it’s right in line with the aspirations we’ve set to become one of the top public universities in the world.”

The building will be four stories high and will connect to the existing Carlson School building by a skyway. Hanson Hall will be 124,000-square-feet and feature several state-of-the-art classrooms, as well as an expanded undergraduate advising office and the Carlson School’s Business Career Center. Hanson Hall is expected to be completed in the fall of 2008.