Q&A: CFO Sean O’Neil on the Executive Residence and Wyly Hall Renovations and Michigan Ross Los Angeles

At this year’s State of the School, we shared plans for two brand-enhancing initiatives that will begin this fiscal year. One will include a major renovation of the Executive Learning and Conference Center, also known as the Executive Residence and Wyly Hall, and the other will involve building a new Michigan Ross location in downtown Los Angeles. These are important strategic investments in our future that will further our goal of being globally recognized as a premier source of knowledge, talent, inspiration, and connection.   

Chief Financial Officer Sean O’Neil outlines the plans for both projects and what to expect in the future. 

Why are the ELCC and new Michigan Ross Los Angeles projects important strategic priorities for the school?
The goal of both projects is to ensure that our facilities positively represent our school’s brand image and allow us to offer a high-quality experience to everyone who comes through our doors. In Ann Arbor, the ELCC is often the first physical impression of Michigan Ross for many of our visitors, including Executive Education participants. This project will include substantial upgrades and infrastructure work to meet energy efficiency, sustainability, and modern standards of excellence. We want to ensure that our guest accommodations match our high-quality educational programming for many years to come

Similar to our amazing spaces in Ann Arbor, the new LA space will provide our students, faculty, alumni, and other guests, with a unique venue to learn, innovate, and collaborate. Operationally, the technology and functionality of the learning spaces will match our Ann Arbor spaces. Finally, Los Angeles is an ideal location to expand our school’s reach and reputation globally, with a key focus on Latin America, Southeast Asia, and other international regions. In addition to our Executive MBA Program, the new LA site will become the West Coast hub for Executive Education programming.

What will be offered at the new Michigan Ross Los Angeles?
The new Michigan Ross LA space will include two 60-person flat classrooms, 16 team breakout rooms, 150-person flexible meeting/event space, indoor and outdoor lounge areas for breaks, a workspace, and a catering kitchen. We have negotiated discounted room rates with two hotels within a 5-minute walking distance. These rates will be available to anyone visiting us in LA.

This space will be the new home of the LA cohort of the Executive MBA program, which has operated in LA since 2012. Executive Education will use the space to deliver a suite of LA-specific public programs as well as custom education programming for various clients. In addition to these programs, we are exploring other uses of the space and opportunities to engage with the local business community, including alumni events, recruiting events, and speakers. 

What is the goal of the Executive Learning and Conference Center project, and what changes can we expect on campus when it’s completed?
The ELCC project’s goal is to complete a significant renovation of the Executive Learning and Conference Center, which primarily supports Ross Executive Education programming, the Executive MBA and Online MBA Programs, hotel accommodations for visitors, and the Executive Dining Room. All renovations will either meet or exceed industry and University of Michigan baseline sustainability standards for building renovations

We will renovate approximately 134,000 gross square feet of space, including administrative offices and meeting rooms, to enhance the work environment for faculty, staff, and students. We will also make extensive upgrades to the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing infrastructure. In the hotel, we will update all guest rooms to accommodate queen-sized beds and increase the number of rooms from 104 to 131, including eight accessible rooms. We will also add new study rooms and hospitality pantries, which will have microwaves, sinks, and refrigerators for the convenience of guests of the Executive Residence. 

Faculty and staff who enjoy dining in the Executive Dining Room can look forward to a complete refresh of the space, which will also make it a flexible venue for meetings.

Which programs and offices will be relocated during the ELCC renovations, and where? 
Wyly Hall and the Executive Residence will be closed during construction. To support continuing operations during the two-year renovation period, we have secured additional space at South State Commons, located two miles south of the Ross campus. We are excited about this nearly 30,000 square-foot space, which will include Executive Education classrooms; breakout rooms; meeting spaces; a catering kitchen; dining space; and workspace for the Office of Executive Education, a portion of Ross IT and Aramark teams, as well as the William Davidson Institute. It is currently being built out and will be ready for use in December.

In addition to the above moves, the Business+Impact Studio has moved from the Executive Residence to the third floor of Kresge Hall. The Aramark administrative team will move to the Hill Street Annex, and the Ross IT Helpdesk team will move to Kresge Hall, room 2511.

With the Executive Dining Room closed during renovations, how will Aramark still be able to support the school’s catering needs?
We are fortunate to have Aramark as a dedicated partner committed to helping us meet our high-quality catering needs in a safe manner. Although the Executive Dining Room kitchen will be unavailable during the ELCC renovations, we have three other food preparation spaces in the Blau and Ross buildings. Aramark will adjust its operations to utilize these spaces, as well as the catering kitchen at South State Commons, to continue to serve all of our catering needs.  

When can we expect the ELCC and Ross LA projects to be completed?
Construction work on the ELCC project is expected to begin soon, starting with demolition work in early February 2025. Construction is expected to take two years, and the renovated buildings should reopen in December 2026.

Construction of the Ross LA space is expected to begin in Spring 2025 and be completed in January 2026.