Two foundations give $3 million to JBU for renovation project

John Brown University in Siloam Springs has secured a combined $3 million from the Mabee Foundation and the Schmieding Foundation to support the second phase of a $13 million project to renovate the Mabee Learning Resource Center.

The private, Christian university needed to raise $2.7 million to receive a $2.5 million challenge grant from the Mabee Foundation. JBU completed this goal by the Jan. 9 deadline.

According to a Friday (May 16) news release, JBU received a $500,000 grant from the Schmieding Foundation. In recognition of the gift, JBU will name the new Academic Success Center the Schmieding Foundation Academic Success Center upon completion of the project.

“We are deeply grateful for the Schmieding Foundation’s support of student success at JBU,” said Chip Pollard, president of JBU. “Their ongoing partnership has been instrumental in advancing our mission, and we are honored to name our new Academic Success Center in recognition of their commitment.”

The 54,247-square-foot, two-story Mabee Learning Resource Center, built in 1980, is undergoing renovation to become “a modern and integrated Academic Success Center and collaborative learning hub,” according to the university’s website. The Academic Success Center will be a new space on the first floor of the Learning Resource Center.

The project is expected to bring together the resources of the library, tutoring, writing center, media lab and student support services into a central location. The work comprises the second phase of the renovation, which is expected to begin this month and cost $10.6 million. The project is expected to be completed in summer 2026, with the new center opening to students in August of that year.

St. Louis-based Hastings+Chivetta Architects is the designer. Conway-based Nabholz is the general contractor. The renovations are being completed within the existing footprint of the building.

The library will be relocated to the second floor “to better reflect the shift to digital resources,” the release shows. “The first floor will become a centralized hub for student services, including the ITS help desk, academic support, tutoring and writing labs, and intercultural engagement spaces.” The updated building will also include a new location for Ground Floor Coffee, the university’s student-run coffee shop, and replace outdated mechanical systems to improve building efficiency.

“For many years, the Mabee Foundation has been a steadfast partner in advancing Christian higher education at JBU,” said Jim Krall, senior vice president for university advancement at JBU. “We are deeply grateful for this generous challenge grant, which will enable us to renovate our Learning Resource Center into a dynamic space designed to support the academic growth and personal development of today’s students.”

The first phase of the renovation was completed in spring 2024 for $2.4 million. It converted the broadcast studio into a modern soundstage for JBU’s film program, relocated staff offices, upgraded the media lab, replaced outdated systems, and transformed the bridge between the center and Chapman buildings into a student study space, Neufeld Commons.