The UA System Board of Trustees has approved a new $78.5 million science and engineering complex for UAB.

The school said the initial phase of the complex will be home to its College of Arts and Sciences’ biology and physics departments, and have lab and support space for the chemistry department.

The new complex, designed by Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood, will replace the current Education Building on 14th Street South between University Boulevard and 10th Avenue South, adjacent to the Mini Park. Lord Aeck Sargent is consulting on lab and research space.

The complex will have 145,784 square feet of instructional, research and support laboratory space, classroom space, and faculty and staff office and support space. It will also have several collaboration rooms, research labs and a storm shelter.

Future phases will provide more space for the chemistry department and School of Engineering. The School of Education will be relocated in the newly renovated space within the Education and Engineering Complex, formerly known as the Business and Engineering Complex. This will allow for demolition as part of the first phase of work.

UAB President Ray Watts said the complex will be a “significant step."

“New, modern building projects like this — and like our Collat School of Business, School of Nursing, Hill Student Center, Police and Public Safety Headquarters, new and upcoming residence hall, and our new University Hall — are monuments to the hard work and support of so many who have made our continued growth possible, and they foreshadow greater things to come," Watts said.