Colorado State University has grown and evolved tremendously since the founders first envisioned the state’s land-grant college in 1870, and each decade has contributed to the footprint of today’s campus.

When students arrived on campus in the crisp fall air of the 2005-06 academic year, their number totaled 24,947, including undergraduate, graduate and veterinary medicine doctoral students. In the decade since, Colorado State has experienced annual enrollment growth, last year welcoming the university’s largest and most diverse freshman class in the history of the university. Also last year, student numbers crested more than 32,000 for the first time.

The university has been planning for this growth, expanding campus physical capacity in both academic and living space. It’s not just about building; in recent years, CSU has intentionally turned up the dial in striving for academic and research excellence, along with working to create a superior campus environment, enhanced by the vibrant lifestyle offered by Fort Collins.

This fall marks the halfway point for multiple construction projects on campus which began about 18 months ago as part of a larger $700 million building boom to accommodate student growth, which also will create new jobs – both academic and support – and demand for classroom, research and student living space.

As a result of thoughtful planning, the university is accomplishing its goals while preserving green space, building up not out, maintaining the university’s structural and aesthetic character, enhancing safety, and creating infrastructure to serve the university’s future.