The School of Law announced plans to build a four-story, 16,000-square-foot addition to the Broadway Campus where the Twomey Center for Peace Through Justice stands.

The proposed structure will house faculty offices, seminar and student activities rooms and one large classroom.

The same architect who designed the Monroe Library has been hired to design the new building.

According to Brian Bromberger, dean of the School of Law, the entire project will cost about $5 million.

Bromberger said that there was great pressure imposed on the law school to find more space.

He explained that the American Bar Association insisted that Loyola find more room for the growing needs of the school.

“We had to find more space without increasing the student body,” Bromberger said.

Vice President of Institutional Advancement Malcolm Woodall explained that the original plan for expansion involved moving the visual arts department off the Broadway Campus and into the old library, leaving the vacant St. Mary’s Hall for the use of the law school.

This plan, part of the Academic Strategic Agenda, has been slowed due to a lack of funds.

However, Woodall maintains that the agenda is moving forward regardless of the expansion at the Broadway Campus.

Bromberger previously turned down another proposed expansion plan for the school.

That version included renovating a section of Cabra Residence Hall into temporary offices for the law school, and then back to dorms once St. Mary’s Hall had been renovated.

Bromberger decided against the proposal, citing the financial commitment as a “lose-lose” situation.

The current project will be subsidized completely by the School of Law. The funding comes from a capital account, which is fed by the law school’s surplus funds.

“Because of over enrollment, a tiny capital account has turned into a large capital account,” Bromberger said.

The new building will be built in the footprint of the Twomey Center, located on Pine Street, adjacent to the School of Law. The Twomey Center houses offices for several agencies, including the Crescent City Farmers Market, Bread for the World and Blueprint for Social Justice. The offices will be relocated to the new building, according to Bromberger.

Woodall explained that the expansion to the law school would improve its own reputation as well as that of the entire university.

“The visual arts campaign and the law school expansion plans are moving forward,” Woodall said. “It’s only going to get better.”

In addition to the proposed expansion, Bromberger said the law school has added six new faculty members and introduced a new program to increase graduate’s passage rates on the bar exam.

He also said that the law school has hosted national law conventions and has expanded its highly successful moot court program.

Bromberger explained that through expansions and other improvements, the School of Law can be more selective of its students, thus making the school more competitive.

The more competitive the school is, Bromberer said, the better prospective students it draws, leading to a better reputation and improved standings.

“It all runs full circle,” Bromberger said. “It’s how the game is played.”

Adam Hennessey can be reached at [email protected].