Purdue trustees approve new music hall, renovations to academic and living spaces
May 10, 2013
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue University Board of Trustees on Friday (May 10) officially named a planned facility to house Purdue Musical Organizations and approved a construction contract for the building.
The PMO building will be named Ralph and Bettye Bailey Hall in honor of a $4.5 million gift from the couple to support its construction. Ralph Bailey is a 1949 mechanical engineering alumnus, and both have been longtime supporters of the university and PMO.
The trustees approved a $4.04 million contract with Kettlehut Construction Co. of Lafayette, Ind., to build the $7.6 million Bailey Hall.
Construction on the 15,300-square-foot building, to be located on Grant Street across from Knoy Hall, is scheduled to begin this summer, with completion slated for summer or fall of 2014. Bailey Hall will be a permanent home to six chorale groups and a hand bell choir and will offer easily accessible, well-lit and acoustically sound space to rehearse, record and study.
"Bailey Hall will raise awareness of PMO programs and will boost recruitment efforts," said PMO director William Griffel. "PMO's new home will provide a space specifically designed to meet the practice needs of our ensembles and will be a location to showcase our rich history and traditions."
PMO has been housed since 1940 in several floors of the Elliott Hall of Music. Its new home will be built entirely with gift funds.
On Thursday (May 9) the board's Physical Facilities Committee approved renovations to the Biochemistry Annex and residence hall restrooms.
The committee approved a resolution to hire URS Corp. of Indianapolis to plan the renovation of laboratories on the Biochemistry Annex's third floor to bring them up to current research standards. The space will be reconfigured to be more open and flexible. Existing mechanical systems will be replaced or upgraded as needed, with an eye toward future expansion. Planning for the $4 million project, which will be funded by university repair and rehabilitation funds, will include an energy efficiency plan for the entire annex.
The committee also approved the $4.8 million Phase III renovations to Harrison Residence Hall, which will reconfigure and renovate restrooms on floors one through eight in the north tower. The design/build approval gives University Residences the authority to use its departmental funds generated from user fees to move forward on the project.
Writer: Jim Schenke, 765-494-6262, jschenke@purdue.edu
Sources: William Griffel, wgriffel@purdue.edu
Robert McMains, vice president for physical facilities, 765-494-8000, remcmains@purdue.edu
