William Paterson University bought a 56,000 square-foot office at 1800 Valley Road on Thursday.

The purchase cost the university $1.75 million. The money used to buy the office came strictly from reserved funds. No operating funds were used, which means this purchase does not impact the operating budget.

The 11-acre addition was recently renovated and is “immediately available for use for classrooms and other academic spaces” according to an email sent from President Richard Helldobler on Thursday afternoon.

The new building provides an ample amount of space for the university to use in different ways. It will likely be the home of some education majors as it is expected to include the School of Continuing and Professional Education, adult education and high school dual enrollment initiatives. Some business majors also may find themselves there in general classrooms to relieve the amount of students at 1600 Valley Road. That building is currently the home of the university’s Cotsakos College of Business, School of Continuing and Professional Education and the College of Education.

Another potential add-on is the child development center. A child development center hasn’t been on campus since before the renovation of Hunziker Wing, now Preakness Hall. The old child development center was a place for students and teachers to drop off their kids, and this program provided Elementary and Early Childhood Education majors to get a hands-on experience while at school. This building caught President Helldobler’s interest because of its potential and location.

“Given the surplus of commercial office space in close proximity to the University, we saw the availability of this building as an extremely affordable opportunity that would support current and future strategic directions,” Helldobler said.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony is being planned for the near future and will include tours of the building.