CCU to Dedicate Leprino Hall September 2nd
Leprino Hall, the first new building completed in a series of new buildings under construction at Colorado Christian University, will be dedicated in a ceremony at 11:15 a.m., Tuesday, September 2, 2014. The public is invited to attend the event which will include an informal lunch and tours of the new facility.
Anyone interested in attending the ceremony can RSVP by calling Kathleen Chandler at 303-963-3033, or by email at ccudevelopment@ccu.edu.
The building dedication will include remarks by CCU President Bill Armstrong, Lakewood Mayor Bob Murphy, CCU Student Body President Kelli Klaus and representatives of the university's alumni, faculty and staff.
The new three-story, state-of-the-art academic building dramatically transforms the campus with the addition of 14 classrooms, faculty offices, a 250-seat community room and restaurant. Also, Leprino Hall will be home to a number of CCU's College of Adult and Graduate Studies enrollment staff and many adult and graduate studies students who will attend night classes.
President Armstrong announced today that the new academic building is named in honor of Ms. Terry Leprino, of Denver's Leprino Foods Co. family, where she spent 10 years as marketing director for the world's largest producer of mozzarella cheese. "She's a woman of God who has been developing leaders in nonprofit and for-profit organizations for more than 30 years," Armstrong said. "And, for more than 20 years, she has been leading Young Life leaders and staff who invest their lives in middle school and high school students along Colorado's Front Range."
Ms. Leprino is a member of the Board of Directors of Leprino Foods, Colorado Christian University, Issachar Urban Leadership Center and Nexus International. She earned a bachelor's degree from Arizona State University and a master's degree in biblical counseling from Colorado Christian University. "She is a servant leader and an inspiration to the students, faculty and staff of CCU," Armstrong said.
Colorado Christian University is completely rebuilding its campus near the corner of West Alameda and Garrison in Lakewood. Armstrong said, "CCU's enrollment is growing rapidly, up 27 percent over the past two years. We are bursting at the seams and this wonderful new building will give us great, modern space, increased parking and a signature building for our campus."
Armstrong also announced that within the next few days, the university will break ground for a 103,000 square foot residential building located at the campus border near Alameda Avenue. Over the next few years, CCU will construct an additional academic building, one or two more residential buildings, a new student center and a chapel.
Prior to the start of CCU's Lakewood campus redevelopment project, the campus consisted of 20 buildings, totaling 239,000 square feet. As part of the redevelopment, all of these buildings will be torn down, with the exception of four newer apartment-style dorms, built in 2001-02, comprising 71,500 square feet. The university also added 4.4 acres of land contiguous to the main campus, in addition to 15.7 acres west of campus at the intersection of Kipling and Alameda.
The complete Lakewood campus redevelopment is expected to take seven to nine years. The resulting campus will have 11 new buildings and, together with the existing apartments to remain, will include approximately 700,000 square feet.
"We are especially grateful to Lakewood Mayor Murphy, members of City Council, and the Planning Commission for amending our zoning to permit expansion of our campus from 170,000 square feet to 700,000 square feet in the years ahead," Armstrong said. "I'd also like to offer special appreciation to City Manager Kathy Hodgson and her staff for their encouragement and support."
In addition, Armstrong expressed appreciation to Davis Partnership architects Brit Probst and Phil Fossen for a "brilliant design;" G.E. Johnson Construction Company and the workers who built the structure; and the university's "master builder," Vice President Shannon Dreyfuss.