Construction on the University of Tennessee (UT) at Knoxville's new Chemistry Building on Cumberland Avenue is under way with a target completion date of 2029.
UT leaders lobbied for years for the $199 million project, urging Gov. Bill Lee to include it in his budget proposal, university Chancellor Donde Plowman said Sept. 5.
The school will front $33.8 million for the building project while the state will contribute $165.5 million, which is the largest amount the state has allocated for a single university project, according to the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
"We are very fortunate here at UT to have a state legislature that understands the importance of education and supports this university, and that's not true across the country," said Kate Jones, divisional dean for natural sciences and mathematics in the College of Arts and Sciences. "We're very proud that we can work with our legislature and that they are willing to support big endeavors like this."
When the eight-story building is completed and open — likely in 2029 — its 163,000 sq. ft of space will offer new amenities for the chemistry department, which is projected to grow 15 percent in undergraduate students majoring in chemistry and 20 percent in graduate students.
Chemistry is one of the bigger departments within the UT's College of Arts and Sciences and also is one that has multiple applications in east Tennessee, including through research opportunities in nearby Oak Ridge. The program, tied for 85th nationally among public and private institutions in 2023, graduated 44 students in 2024 and has 343 students enrolled in its undergraduate and graduate levels, the Knoxville news source noted.
In addition, the new as-yet-unnamed UT building will have:
• one study room and two lecture halls, each with 50 seats;
• three teaching labs;
• 12 spaces for collaboration;
• 28 research labs; and
• workstations for student researchers.
"It's going to be very important for building future generations of Tennessee's chemistry workforce, and it's going to be a catalyst for discovery and innovation by our students and faculty to help make life and lives better for people across Tennessee and around the world," said Robert Hinde, the interim executive dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
New Building is Part of UT's Master Plan
The News-Sentinel reported that UT got a head start on constructing the project when it received approval last year to use $6.5 million of its own money to design the chemistry building and tear down the aging Panhellenic Building.
It is a big step in realizing the next phase of UT's Master Plan, a document finalized in 2023 to serve as a guide for the school's next 10 years. When the structure nears completion, UT will renovate Dabney-Buehler Hall on Circle Drive, the current home of the Chemistry Department, for another use.
"[The state's commitment] is a little bit symbolic because chemistry plays a role in a lot of different academic programs and enables a lot of different types of careers, so it's exciting to have a big, new, modern chemistry building that can launch students in thousands of different directions," Hinde told the News-Sentinel.
Modern Chemistry Building Among Several Ongoing UT Projects
The new project adds to the seemingly endless construction currently happening on the UT campus at a time of growth for the university.
At the beginning of the fall 2025 semester, the school opened the new UT Medical Nursing Building after three years of construction, a move that centralized the College of Nursing in the heart of campus.
In addition, UT welcomed students into two of three new dormitories, Beacon and Poplar halls, providing even more student housing on campus for incoming first-year students.
Other projects in the works include:
• The $25 million Jenny Boyd Carousel Theatre, due to open in the spring 2026 semester with two productions to kick off its season, "Cabaret" and "The Royale." The venue replaces the former carousel theater on Andy Holt Avenue in Knoxville.
• The new Haslam College of Business building, under construction along Volunteer Boulevard. It is set to become one of the largest structures on campus with 18 classrooms across five floors. Built at a cost of $227 million, the building is scheduled to open for the fall 2027 semester, and nearly half of its price tag is paid for by private donors.
• The proposed $108 million Student Success Building, which will soon begin construction and be ready in time for the fall 2027 semester. The five-floor structure will replace Melrose Hall and house UT's Division of Student Success.
