Auburn University’s board of trustees has given final approval for the construction of a Gulf Coast Engineering Research Station in Orange Beach.
The $14 million facility will be 21,000 square feet. The facility, with research labs, office, meeting spaces and outdoor gathering spaces, will have direct access to the Gulf of Mexico. The station will research coastal environments and communities of the Gulf Coast.
“We are thankful to the board for its continued support of this project that will benefit Auburn University, the state’s coastal communities and those who love and visit one of the most beautiful areas of this state,” said Mario Eden, dean of Auburn’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. “The opportunity for collaboration with our friends and partners in the city of Orange Beach, the University of South Alabama and other regional institutions and industries is exciting, and this gives us a home base to address some of the most pressing coastal issues related to infrastructure resiliency and environmental protection, restoration, sustainability and conservation.”
The project architect is ArchitectureWorks, based in Birmingham.
