Tim Eby, general manager of St. Louis Public Radio, stands in front of UMSL’s new $12 million building at Grand Center in St. Louis. (Photo by August Jennewein)

Construction of a $12 million building for the University of Missouri–St. Louis is on schedule, and the building is set to open within Grand Center, a St. Louis arts and entertainment district, in spring 2012.

Located at 3651 Olive St., the facility “establishes a UMSL presence” in Grand Center, says UMSL Chancellor Tom George. The building will house the studios and offices of St. Louis Public Radio | 90.7 KWMU, classrooms for the rapidly expanding field of new media, offices for intern- ships in the arts, student teaching and charter school programs already established at Grand Center.

St. Louis Public Radio General Manager Tim Eby says the facility will enable the station to enhance its programming and provide more student internships and new media studies support.

“The proximity to some of the region’s most outstanding cultural and media organizations creates the potential for interesting partner- ships that will benefit our listeners,” Eby says. “We’re also excited by the potential to combine our professional and technological resources with partners such as Nine Network of Public Media and the St. Louis Beacon to offer classes in the latest media and communication technology.”

The university has a lease-purchase agreement with BC Development of Kansas City, Mo. A fundraising campaign is expected to raise $10 million for the project, and UMSL has committed $2 million.

S.M. Wilson and Company of St. Louis is the developer for the three-story, 27,000- square-foot building. Design architects are Heather Woofter and Sung Ho Kim of Axi:Ome LLC. Chiodini Associates serves as the architect of record.