FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kaplan University, one of South Florida’s largest employers, today celebrated the opening of a new nearly 100,000 square-foot energy-efficient facility, which is equipped with the latest in hurricane protection technology and a variety of amenities for its growing employee ranks. “We’ve got a lot to celebrate today. Kaplan University has come a long way in a very short time,” said Andrew S. Rosen, CEO and President of Kaplan University and CEO of Kaplan Higher Education, during the ribbon-cutting event. “In 1999, our business base was in New York with a small presence in South Florida. As we grew, we wanted a community that could accommodate the kind of growth we saw ahead, and we found that support in Broward County.” The new building mirrors the existing four-story Kaplan University building at 6301 Kaplan University Avenue, which opened with great fanfare in January 2005. However, the new space includes several environmentally-friendly features unique to South Florida corporate facilities, including an energy-recovery unit, which uses the energy from cooled air being pumped out of the building to cool fresh air being filtered into it; daylight harvesting technology, which uses sensors along perimeter windows to automatically turn lights on or off based on the amount of natural light streaming into the building; and rooftop solar panels, which will be installed shortly to heat the building’s hot water. Additionally, the building has upgraded windows to sustain a Category 4 hurricane, an upgraded roof structure to withstand 170 mph winds, a 10,000-gallon fuel tank (in addition to an existing 5,000-gallon tank) to operate building generators for more than one week and a newly-drilled private well to keep the air conditioning system working in case of a power outage. The new building also has a three-foot concrete barrier built into its foundation to protect it from flooding. A new three-story parking facility also on site provides additional parking for employees and visitors. “Kaplan University is one of our dream companies,” said Bob Swindell, Senior Vice President of Business Development for The Broward Alliance, which promotes economic development in Broward County. “It expresses innovation and offers high-skilled and high-wage jobs. Kaplan is a spectacular example of the kinds of companies we want to bring to South Florida.” Along with Swindell, the ribbon cutting was attended by Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle; Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Christine Teel; Michael Alter, President of The Alter Group, which owns the building; and dozens of other local and state officials, and Kaplan executives. More than 500 admissions and academic advisors, financial aid representatives and other student support staff have moved into the building, which has the capacity for approximately 800 people. Employees of both buildings on the Kaplan University campus have access to a new cafeteria, an outdoor patio and break rooms equipped with large-screen TVs and Internet cafés, among other amenities. The additional space provided by the new building also makes room for a new fitness center soon to be constructed in the original building. The Kaplan campus serves as the University’s largest support center in the country, currently housing 1,100 employees with room for about 1,600. When Kaplan opened its original building off of West Cypress Creek Road, the University had less than 1,000 employees in South Florida. Today, it has almost 1,400 in Broward and Palm Beach counties. The University also has support centers in Chicago and Phoenix. The buildings are owned and operated by The Alter Group and the lease broker is Cushman & Wakefield. Wolfberg Alvarez served as the interior architectural firm and Brasfield & Gorrie managed the construction. Kaplan University, based in Davenport, IA, offers master’s, bachelor’s and associate’s degrees in more than 75 programs and is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA). The University currently serves more than 27,000 online and on-ground students.
