BATON ROUGE — Supported by an eight-figure philanthropic commitment, LSU will launch the Art Favre School of Construction within its College of Engineering and offer two new bachelor's degree programs in construction engineering, the university announced on Tuesday.

To support the program, the university will build a new department building, to be named the Performance Contractors Construction & Advanced Manufacturing Building, after alumnus Art Favre and the company he founded. The new building is expected to serve as a hub for construction, engineering and advanced manufacturing. 

Two new bachelor of science programs will be launched through the school: construction engineering and fire and emergency services administration.

School officials are also considering undergraduate programs in digital construction and modular manufacturing, and are developing plans to hire faculty talent clusters in automation and robotics, digital twins and AI-enabled project delivery, resilient and low-carbon materials, and jobsite tools for construction professionals who work in the field. 

"Louisiana is a construction leader in the South," said LSU President Wade Rousse, during the announcement at the LSU Foundation Center for Philanthropy. 

Groundbreaking on the new 148,000-square-foot building is planned sometime next year on South Stadium Drive, across from Tiger Stadium. 

The $107 million project is supported through a public-private partnership, a $65 million fundraising goal and $42 million from the state of Louisiana. To date, LSU Foundation donors have raised more than $52.3 million for the building and is trying to partner with alumni, friends and industry partners to secure the remaining $12.4 million for the building. 

"Still a lot left to get this building up, and the state has stepped up to make it happen," Favre said at the event.