Purdue News
Purdue News
The trustees also approved several projects to upgrade facilities, the name of a department, and provisions for associate degrees for Purdue regional campuses.
The new Black Cultural Center, to be located at the northwest corner of Third and Russell streets, will be paid for with donated funds. The fund drive for the new Black Cultural Center is expected to be completed later this fall, said Charles B. Wise, vice president for development. Groundbreaking tentatively is scheduled for February.
The two-story, 18,000-square-foot structure will be almost twice the size of the current center, a modified residence that was dedicated as the center in 1970.
Designed by Blackburn Architects of Indianapolis, who used traditional African design elements, the new center features a domed central area that houses a lounge and a reading room. Other main rooms include an expanded art and gallery space, a computer laboratory, more storage and rehearsal areas for four performing arts ensembles, and office space for student organizations such as the Black Greek Council.
The main entrance is situated between a cubical and the cylindrical form. To incorporate textures and materials typically found in African villages, the center will draw on geometric patterns and rough, natural textures for walls and other surfaces.
On Jan. 24, Purdue President Steven C. Beering announced the university would provide the land and a $1 million challenge grant toward the $3 million in gifts needed to build the new center. Purdue also has agreed to provide an estimated $150,000 in fund-raising expenses. The $1 million came from unrestricted gift money, given by contributors for use by the president for the betterment of Purdue.
The Black Cultural Center serves about 35,000 people each year through its four performing arts ensembles, speaker series, tours and other programs.
The board also approved several projects to upgrade facilities at the West Lafayette campus.
J.R. Kelly Co., Lafayette, was awarded the contract for the first phase of work to renovate the ventilation system and several labs in the Heine Pharmacy Building. The first phase is budgeted at $1.3 million.
PIPCO Companies, Lafayette, was awarded a contract to finish installing the coal handling systems for the university's power plant. The systems include fire protection, ventilation, dust suppression and closed-circuit television. The project is budgeted at $1.3 million.
The board approved spending $2.2 million to complete the building shell of a new physical facilities building along Ahlers Road, south of the main campus. The building eventually will house most of the service shops operated by Physical Facilities.
The Department of Horticulture will now be known as the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture. Purdue now enrolls about 150 students in pre-landscape architecture and 50 in professional landscape architecture.
The trustees also approved two new degree programs at the regional campuses:
Sources: Tom Schmenk, director, facilities planning and construction, (765) 494-8003
Wayne Kjonass, (765) 494-8000
Charles Wise, (765) 494-8653
Writer: Jeanne V. Norberg, (765) 494-2084; e-mail, jeanne_norberg@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu
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