Pasadena-based general contractor C.W. Driver has officially begun construction on a $54 million Innovation Hub at California State University, Fullerton—the largest campus by enrollment in the CSU system. The June 9 groundbreaking marks a milestone for the university’s rapidly growing Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) program.

According to the university, ECS enrollment has surged by 147% over the past decade and is projected to reach 8,000 students by the 2028–2029 academic year. The Innovation Hub will add 45,000 square feet of dedicated academic space, significantly expanding the school’s capacity to meet student demand and industry needs.

The project is supported by $67.5 million in the California state budget and is scheduled to be completed by spring 2027.

The new building is designed to foster hands-on, interdisciplinary learning. It will include flexible dry labs for computing, robotics, materials testing, and cybersecurity—organized into clusters that can evolve alongside workforce demands. Additional spaces such as student lounges, wellness areas, study rooms, makerspaces, and immersive learning environments will enhance both academic and campus life.

“This is more than just a new building—it’s a transformational space that will launch careers, drive innovation, and fuel economic growth across the region,” said Jamie Macartney, project executive at C.W. Driver, in the release.

C.W. Driver, a 106-year-old firm with deep experience in educational construction, is no stranger to CSU Fullerton. It recently completed the $60 million Visual Arts Campus and has delivered major higher education projects across the state, including facilities for MiraCosta College, Mt. San Jacinto College, CSU Dominguez Hills, and UC Santa Barbara.

The Innovation Hub project brings together an accomplished team of design and engineering partners:

• Gensler, the San Francisco-based architectural firm leading the design
• Saiful Bouquet, a structural engineering firm headquartered in Los Angeles
• P2S, a consulting firm based in Long Beach handling MEP systems
• LandLab, a landscape architecture firm from San Diego
• KPFF, a Seattle-based engineering consultancy

The facility will serve as a critical anchor for CSU Fullerton’s mission to develop a technology-ready workforce and advance STEM education in the heart of Orange County.

Originally reported by Joe Bousquin in Construction Dive.