About the Project

Construction is well underway on one of the most ambitious projects in the history of Virginia Commonwealth University. Rising at the corner of Broad and Belvidere Streets, the CoStar Center for Arts and Innovation (CCAI) will herald a new era for arts education, interdisciplinary research and collaboration and community engagement.

The eight-story, 213,000-square-foot building is designed to be far more than a facility upgrade. It will be a crucible for creativity, experimentation, engagement and lifelong learning—a reflection of VCUarts’ identity as both a global leader in the arts and a deeply invested partner in Richmond’s thriving arts scene and its future.

By the Numbers

  • $253 million Total Project Cost

  • 213,000 Square Feet

  • Late 2027 Opening Event

  • 2028 Full academic Programming Begins

A Single Building. Many Worlds.

For decades, VCUarts programs have operated across as many as 19 separate spaces and buildings. The CCAI will change much of that. Theatre, Music, Dance, Cinema, Communication Arts, the Center for the Creative Economy and student and faculty research programs will all come together under one roof—not only sharing space, but also using it to spark innovation and connection across disciplines.

Spaces and facilities

Performance and production spaces will include:

  • Proscenium theater
  • Concert hall
  • Innovation studio
  • Screening room
  • Soundstage
  • Dance studios
  • Maker spaces

Architecture and design

The building’s architecture reflects its interdisciplinary vision. Curved, organic forms draw the energy of the city inward, while each floor is organized as a “strata strand” of complementary activities. A continuous vertical vortex connects every level, pulling students, faculty and visitors into spontaneous cross-disciplinary contact from the ground floor to the rooftop. Expansive glass facades open the building outward, offering sweeping views of VCU’s hometown.

A new front door to Richmond

The CCAI will anchor VCU’s Monroe Park Campus as a center of gravity linking the School of the Arts and VCU Health—a convergence that is both literal and figurative. The building’s location reflects a living partnership between VCUarts faculty and leading researchers from the university’s academic medical center, who will collaborate on how creativity can enhance healing, improve medical education and address real-world clinical challenges through art and design.

At street level, floor-to-ceiling glass and a diagonal public passage at the Broad and Belvidere corner ensure the building’s creative activity is visible and inviting to all of Richmond. A landscaped plaza and improved pedestrian infrastructure will create a welcoming gathering space for students, neighbors and visitors alike, animating the Arts District. It will also signal something essential: that VCUarts is integral to Richmond, and Richmond is integral to VCUarts.

Timeline and milestones

  • Active construction Ongoing

    In progress

  • Grand Opening Ribbon-cutting event and celebration

    Late 2027

  • Move in Full academic programming begins

    Fall 2028

Giving Thanks

The CCAI is made possible thanks to an extraordinary coalition of partners and supporters who have invested in the future of the arts at VCU and across Richmond. These groups have joined together with VCU and the School of the Arts to make this vision a reality:

  • CoStar Group made a landmark $18 million investment in the building and its mission
  • The Virginia General Assembly and state legislators
  • VCU donors
  • VCU partners and arts advocates across Virginia and beyond

News about the CCAI

Watch this space

Stay informed about the CCAI. News stories, announcements and project updates will be added here as the building evolves.

Photo Gallery

Watch the evolution of the building

More about the CoStar Center for Arts and Innovation

About our name

The CoStar Center for Arts and Innovation takes its name from CoStar Group, whose landmark $18 million investment helped make this vision possible. CoStar Group is a global leader in commercial real estate information, analytics, online marketplaces and 3D digital twin technology, and is proud partner of VCU and the Richmond community.

A statement piece in steel and glass

The CoStar Center for Arts and Innovation will be much more than a building. It will be a landmark, a gathering place and a statement that the arts are essential, that creativity drives progress and that Richmond and VCU are ready to lead.