In September 2006, the University of Washington purchased the former Safeco Tower (now the University Tower) and several of the adjacent properties to accommodate a growing need for space for the school’s administration.

The tower is exempt from the lease lid, a former agreement with Seattle that put a cap on the amount of space the University could lease in the surrounding area.

“We were so space constrained that we had to lease space downtown and in Northgate,” said Marilyn Cox, assistant vice provost for capital planning and chair of the planning advisory committee. “Of the 1.3 million square feet that we’d leased, the tower allows us to consolidate 300,000 square feet.”

The University is struggling to accommodate more classrooms and office space, said David Szatmary, vice provost of educational outreach.

“University Tower will be a place where we can have some expansion,” he said.

Cox said the University acquired the place at a third the cost of reconstruction, making it a good bargain for the University.

The University first takes ownership of the tower this month and is scheduled to move everyone in by the end of March or early April.

“I don’t know that we had a firm date earlier than that,” said Alison Koop, public relations manager of educational outreach, one of the first departments scheduled to move in. “We knew it could be in January, could be in April.”

Cox said crews are working to clean up the site.

“When we go in, we have to set up the cubicles and furniture, but the infrastructure — the wires — should be in there,” Szatmary said.

In the tower, the University will be able to unify most of its administration in one building, allowing for a greater ease of communication.

“We were pretty conscious about proximity,” Cox said. “I think it’ll work pretty well. And if you’re an energetic person, you can get a good workout on the stairs.”

An auditorium will provide a location for large staff events, something the administration has been lacking at its present location. In the past, Koop said, they’ve had to “trot off to the Hub,” so she feels the auditorium is a nice plus. The cafeteria can also serve as a meeting space within the building.

Szatmary said, the building will soon have some new gym equipment, courtesy of the IMA.

One of the major things they’ve had to adjust for is the new UW data center being put into the tower. The data center is a $32.5 million project funded by the state, research funds and local money.

In just a few short months, the transition into the tower will be in full swing.

“We’ll be moving in in waves,” Cox said.

The Capital Planning department will be moving in first on the projected date of Feb. 27. The Planning and Budgeting, Educational Outreach and University Press departments are all included in phase one of the move.

Other departments will continue to move in over the next several months, but it won’t happen overnight.

“Our goal is to be pretty fully occupied by the end of 2008,” Cox said.

[Reach contributing writer Molly Rosbach at development@thdaily.washington.edu.]