A New Home for Hope College Business & Economics Takes Shape

August 26, 2026

A New Home for Hope College Business & Economics Takes Shape

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August 26, 2026

Sam Cochran, Assistant Superintendent at O-A-K and Hope College alum, walked the job site in downtown Holland with Nick Duthler, Director of Operations for Hope College, for a look at the college's new Business and Economics building.

The project broke ground on October 17, 2025, during Hope's Homecoming weekend, drawing hundreds of alumni, students, and community members to the site. The three-story building, roughly 70,000 square feet, sits on East 8th Street, between the historic Holland City Hall and Firehouse and the Holland Area Arts Council, on a 1.2-acre parcel Hope College has owned for about twenty years. The site was previously home to the Versendaal car dealership.

The building will bring Hope's Economics and Business Department, currently spread across campus, into one location for the first time. "They're spread out all over campus, and to have it all in one location will be incredibly impactful," Duthler said.

In addition to classrooms, offices, and conference rooms, the building will include a large atrium designed as a gathering space for students between classes and beyond. The project also includes ground-floor retail space, part of an effort to keep the building an active part of downtown Holland and strengthen the connection between campus and the community.

The Economics and Business Department is Hope College's largest, serving nearly one-third of its students, and has grown sixty percent over the past fifteen years. The new building, part of the college's "Hope College Means Business" campaign, is expected to open in fall 2028.

"O-A-K has always done fantastic work," Duthler said. "You work really well with our architects, and you work really well with us, and that's what we need in a good partner."

O-A-K is proud to continue its partnership with Hope College. Thank you also to our video partners at Taproot Pictures.

More Hope College x O-A-K Projects

"This is a building that will have a tremendous impact on everything that we do on campus."
Nick Duthler
Director of Operations
Hope College

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