UMass Boston breaking ground on new building

BOSTON (AP) -- The University of Massachusetts-Boston is holding a groundbreaking ceremony for a new academic building aimed at supporting the school's growing enrollment and course offerings.

UMass President Robert Caret, UMass-Boston Chancellor J. Keith Motley and other education officials as well as faculty and students are scheduled to attend Wednesday's ceremony.

The four-story, 181,000-square-foot building will house the art, performing arts and chemistry programs and provide nearly 2,000 seats of general purpose classroom space. The building will also have a theater, recital hall, studios, labs, student lounges and a cafeteria.

The $113 million building in the northeast corner of campus is expected to open in 2015.

The facility is part of a 25-year master plan.