"Improvement of this facility has been a major concern of Livingston students and a priority of my administration," says Rutgers President Richard McCormick in a prepared statement. The student center, the new dining commons and the Kilmer Library will form a new core of activity and focal point for [the] Livingston community."

The result of a collaboration between university planners and students, the project will include a renovation involving approximately 15,000 sf of the existing 40,000-sf facility. It's the first renovation for the 21-year-old facility, according to university officials.

The project will also add 19,000 sf of space, increasing the facility's size by nearly one-third. The expansion will add a collaborative learning center, new meeting rooms and lounges, an expanded coffee house area and a new convenience store.

The student center project is the first major construction on the Livingston Campus in almost 20 years, and is part of an overall $40 million capital improvements project to the campus. Livingston is one of several campuses making up the New Brunswick-area portion of Rutgers, New Jersey's state university. The university system also has major campuses in Newark and Camden.