2000 -- A multimillion-dollar gift from the family of New York City developer and philanthropist Paul Milstein is pledged to fund a new building that would expand facilities for Cornell's College of Architecture, Art and Planning (AAP) and its architecture program in particular. A design competition for the new building is announced.

2001 -- Steven Holl Architects of New York submits the winning proposal, a $25 million, seven-story cube, its all-glass northern face overlooking the Fall Creek gorge. The design calls for the demolition of Rand Hall. After differences of opinion on how well the building would suit AAP and university needs, an alternative design is sought.

2002 -- Barkow Leibinger Architects of Berlin proposes "a long, narrow linear building" built on the current Sibley Hall parking lot; another contested design. There is eventually a change of focus in the project -- from demolishing and replacing Rand Hall to adding a new building with a design suitable for the entire college.

2004 -- The 2002 design is still being debated when Mohsen Mostafavi is appointed dean of AAP.

January 2006 -- The Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), based in Rotterdam and New York, is named designer of the new building. OMA is led by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Rem Koolhaas, who once briefly studied on the Cornell campus while working on his first book. The long-delayed project enters a fast track of initial approvals, going through several Cornell committees and advisory groups.

September 2006 -- Koolhaas and a team from OMA unveil their Milstein Hall design. The building is projected to cost $40 million, later amended to $41 million due to rising construction costs.

May 2007 -- A naming ceremony is held for Paul Milstein Hall, officially honoring its namesake, an urban real estate developer who studied architecture as a young man and has seen eight family members attend Cornell.

Summer 2007 -- Work begins in both Sibley and Rand halls to prepare for construction; the new building will connect to the two main existing AAP buildings. The college also expands to a leased 8,000-square-foot space on Esty Street as part of the transition, in part to provide needed architecture studio space.

September 2007 -- A modified design for Milstein Hall is presented to the city of Ithaca after approval by AAP and the university. The cantilever design -- Koolhaas' original preference -- eliminates the need for supporting columns along the north side of University Avenue. The City of Ithaca Planning Board is named lead agency for environmental site plan review. The review and approvals process going forward with this design will take 15 months to complete.

December 2007 -- Mostafavi steps down as dean of AAP to take a position leading Harvard University's Graduate School of Design.

June 2008 -- Kent Kleinman is named the new Gale and Ira Drukier Dean of AAP, joining Cornell from Parsons The New School for Design. The municipal review and approvals process for Milstein Hall continues.

Summer 2008 -- Sibley Hall undergoes construction modifications, including elevators and accessible washrooms, to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. Milstein Hall construction will help Rand Hall meet the same requirements.

Oct. 30, 2008 -- President David Skorton announces a 90-day pause in university capital construction projects, pending review.

January 2009 -- Skorton extends the construction pause until June 2009. The Milstein Hall project, including the nearby Central Avenue parking garage, receives final environmental review and site plan approvals from the city's Planning and Development Board and the Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission.