The University of Washington Bothell and Cascadia College recently celebrated the long-awaited opening of the Innovation Hall, which will serve students in biology, chemistry, computer science, physics, and electrical and mechanical engineering, GeekWire reported.

Both institutions will have separate and shared spaces within the $79 million facility that will open to students in January, the article said.

The 80,000-square-foot facility features 13 classrooms, 15 science and engineering labs, 34 faculty offices and open workspaces, and two learning labs. The design build team was Lease Crutcher Lewis and Mithun.

The design for the building began in January 2020. However, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted work and supply chains, and costs for materials soared. Then, in 2021, concrete workers went on strike, which stopped work on the concrete frame for 145 days, according to the article.

The state initially provided UW Bothell and Cascadia College with roughly $40 million each to construct separate STEM facilities; however, increased construction costs and a desire to limit environmental impacts resulted in the joint project, the article said.