MONROE, LA – The University of Louisiana Monroe is one step closer to the complete renovation of Sugar Hall, which houses several health science programs, thanks to the support of the Louisiana State Legislature.
Going into the 2025 regular legislative session, ULM requested $14 million, in addition to the $16.7 million received last year, in capital outlay funding to finish the renovation of Sugar Hall. However, the total project cost was reduced to $25.7 million, leaving only $9 million needed, which the legislature approved. The anticipated completion of the renovation is scheduled for summer 2026.
“Sugar Hall has been an important training ground for many of our health science programs, but it was in dire need of renovation in order to maintain our standards of instruction and the building’s overall functionality,” said ULM President Carrie L. Castille. “We are grateful to our legislative delegation as well as the entire state legislature for supporting our institutional mission as we continue to meet the needs of the healthcare workforce.”
Sugar Hall, named after Leon Sugar, a prominent Monroe businessman, opened in 1971 as the home of ULM’s College of Pharmacy, which is still today the only publicly supported pharmacy school in the state. Fitted with classrooms, laboratories, specialized equipment, and student areas, Sugar Hall has accommodated students and faculty since that time. Since the College of Pharmacy’s move to the Bienville Campus in the mid-2000s, Sugar Hall has housed other health science programs such as medical lab science, health studies, and speech-language pathology.
The renovated Sugar Hall will accommodate occupational therapy, medical laboratory science, speech-language pathology, dental hygiene, labs for toxicology and radiologic technology, as well as community clinics for physical and occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and dental hygiene. It will also house the office of the Dean of the College of Health Sciences.
“Institutional fiscal health depends on the availability and allocation of resources, and we are therefore deeply grateful for the support we have received from the state this year,” said Dr. Bill Graves, Vice President for Business Affairs.
An announcement for the grand re-opening of Sugar Hall will be made at a later time.