Fogelman College of Business and Economics

UofM begins first phase of $85M business college modernization with major renovation

Saturday, 29 November 2025

A University of Memphis college is beginning a major renovation project.

The UofM recently filed a $23.3 million permit with the Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development for the modernization of the Fogelman College of Business and Economics (FCBE).

The permit covers the renovation of the existing buildings, including new interior finishes, new lighting and electrical, a new HVAC system, as well as new furniture.

In 2023, the UofM announced the $85 million Fogelman College modernization project. The project aims to renovate the existing two buildings and build a third building on the land between them. The new site will be called the Avron and Robert Fogelman Business Complex.

According to UofM, the permit covers the first phase of the project — the existing buildings’ renovation — and is expected to cost $30 million overall. Phase I is partially covered by a $25 million grant to the UofM from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. The State approved that grant for the FCBE renovation in May 2022. 

Phase I construction is expected to start around the first of the year.

Flintco is the general contractor on the project. The architects are Memphis-based 4FDesign and Birmingham-based Williams Blackstock Architects.

The FCBE’s existing 55-year-old space sits on the corner of Central Avenue and Patterson Street. 

Fogelman College dean Bobby Garrett told MBJ last year that the new complex needs a big entrance with glass and large windows. Renderings of the future complex show a courtyard in front of an almost all-glass building's exterior.

"The renovated and expanded Fogelman Business Complex will serve as a catalyst for enrollment growth, workforce development, and economic progress. This project is a symbol of institutional momentum for the university and the city,” Garrett said in a statement.

Renderings of Areas Around the FCBE Building After Renovations