Concordia University Chicago will soon begin renovations of the Walter and Maxine Christopher Center for Learning and Leadership, an initiative that will add and improve instructional spaces on campus. The $5.9 million project, part of a multi-phased plan to enhance academic facilities, is fully underwritten by dedicated supporters.
“This project is a significant investment in our future and the needs of our students,” said University President Dr. Russell P. Dawn. “It is also a testament to the faithfulness of donors who believe in our students, in our mission, and in the future God has for Concordia-Chicago—and for that, we are deeply grateful.”
Phase 1 work will take place on the second and third floors of the Christopher Center, which opened in 2002 thanks to a generous lead gift from Jay and Doris Christopher. Now, renovations will be made across 11,120 square feet of the building.
On the second floor, four classrooms will be converted into microbiology, cellular and molecular biology, and general biology labs.
On the third floor of the Christopher Center, space that is now utilized for faculty and staff offices will be converted into a state-of-the-art dissection lab, with a cadaver dissection room and a virtual dissection room equipped with Anatomage Tables and spatial reality displays. Phase 1 will also add floor space above what is now CULearn, creating a 1,600 square-foot addition to be developed in a future phase of the project.
Future phases will include learning spaces in the Christopher Center, as well as renovations elsewhere on campus for CULearn, classrooms, and offices being relocated throughout the project.
This plan was approved by the Concordia-Chicago Board of Regents in June and by The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in September. Construction is scheduled to begin in December, at the end of fall semester, in partnership with Milwaukee-based Catalyst Construction and FGM Architects, based in Chicago, among others. Work is expected to be completed by August 2027, with spaces ready to be used by the start of the next academic year.
“Facility renovations will occur in spaces that have served the campus for decades and which will now be repurposed for current and future students to use for years to come,” said Vice President for Administration Glen Steiner (BA '91, MA '95). “Making these enhancements in a prudent, fiscally responsible manner allows us to grow and thrive while remaining good stewards of the resources entrusted to us.”
The initiative aligns with the University’s FY 2027-29 strategic plan, which includes making campus enhancements and investing in rapidly growing health, science, and technology programs. It also supports the plan’s academic vision of building quality academic programs that align with CUC’s mission, leverage its faculty and facilities, have strong market demand with the potential to scale, and are resistant to AI disruption.
“Healthcare is not just getting more technologically complex but also more ethically complex. Along with new technology come all types of interesting challenges and dilemmas,” said Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Rob Balza. “The world needs more healthcare workers who are formed by Christian ethics, who uphold the dignity and sanctity of human life; embrace vocation and servant leadership; and provide holistic care for patients’ minds, bodies, and souls. That’s what Concordia-Chicago is uniquely positioned to provide.”
Balza added that CUC’s pre-health and healthcare programs already have excellent faculty, and that the University’s liberal arts foundation, faculty, and programs across colleges help form well-rounded future healthcare workers.
“We’re not just educating students in the sciences and preparing them with technical skills. Students are benefitting from the breadth and depth of our general education program—taking classes in theology, communication, humanities, and fine arts,” Balza said. “This makes them better healthcare workers, ones who are not only technically capable but also ready to adapt and lead in a constantly changing world.”
These facility enhancements position the University to be able to offer new high-demand programs within the College of Health, Science & Technology in the future—while increasing its ability to accept more students into the rapidly growing programs that exist today. The initiative follows the addition of a $1.6 million simulation and skills lab, which opened in 2023 in Christopher Center to support the new Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. Earlier this month, Concordia-Chicago also announced that it received a $3 million federal grant to support students pursuing health sciences vocations.
“The renovation of Christopher Center is one part of a larger movement forward. It gives our health, science, and technology students the spaces they need to pursue academic excellence and carry that excellence into the world as they serve their neighbors with care and compassion,” Dawn said. “It also stays true to the commitment that Concordia-Chicago has honored for more than 160 years—forming students for their vocations with Christ at the center. That is the foundation of everything.”
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