- Brigham Young University will construct a new administration building — replacing the Abraham O. Smoot Building.
- The new administration building is expected to open in 2028.
- Announced earlier: BYU will build its new medical school on the west side of its Provo campus.
Brigham Young University will soon bid farewell to a familiar campus landmark.
The school’s board of trustees approved plans to construct a new administration building that will replace the 64-year-old Abraham O. Smoot Administration Building.
“While the ASB served the BYU community well for decades,” said Steve Hafen, administration vice president and CFO, “this new facility is a strategic investment that will help further strengthen the student experience by efficiently assisting in enrollment, housing, financial aid and other student services.”
The new building will house offices for BYU’s central administrative and student services — including admissions, registration, scholarships, legal, housing, communications, counseling and psychological services, employment offices and university administrative leadership, according to a school release.
BYU is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Smoot Administration Building is scheduled to be demolished at the end of 2025.
Construction of the new building will commence immediately after the demolition. The project is expected to be completed and ready to occupy by fall 2028, according to the release.
The ASB was named after Abraham O. Smoot — a key figure in the early days of Brigham Young Academy, which later developed into BYU. The building was completed in the summer of 1961.
BYU employees and departments housed in the Smoot Administration Building began moving out this summer. They will reside in temporary spaces on campus, with the majority of personnel working at BYU East, the former Wasatch Elementary School buildings, according to the release.
Future medical school highlights BYU building projects
News of plans to raze the Smoot Building and build a new administration building marks another historic building announcement this year on the Provo campus.
In May, BYU’s Board of Trustees approved the BYU West Campus — site of the former Provo High School — as the location of the future BYU School of Medicine building.
The site on the BYU campus is also located near the Intermountain Health’s Utah Valley Hospital.
The former Provo High School located on the BYU West Campus is currently being used by the College of Fine Arts and Communications.
The planning and construction of the BYU School of Medicine building will not interfere with the operations of fine arts/communications students, faculty and staff, who will remain at the former Provo High School until the new BYU Arts Building is completed, according to a BYU release.
The church’s First Presidency announced plans for the BYU School of Medicine on July 29, 2024, emphasizing that the school of medicine would include training and research to address international health issues and support the church’s worldwide humanitarian efforts.
BYU School of Medicine updates can be found at https://news.byu.edu/medical-school