Purdue News

May 29, 1998 Purdue seeks $51.4 million in capital funds FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- Purdue University's Board of Trustees today (Friday, 5/29) asked the Indiana General Assembly to approve $51.4 million in capital improvements, including construction of a new center for visual and performing arts. Purdue and other state-assisted universities annually submit prioritized requests for construction and other capital items. The board prioritized Purdue's request as follows: $21 million to extend the life of one boiler, replace a chiller and make other improvements to the utility plant on the West Lafayette campus. Work would begin in fall 1999 and be completed in late 2001. $24 million to build replacement facilities for visual and performing arts on the south side of the campus. The Department of Visual and Performing Arts currently is housed in "temporary" structures built as World War II barracks. The department has more than 500 undergraduate majors and 60 graduate students, and supports several thousand students enrolled in applied, theoretical or historical art courses each year. "The time is long past that we should provide a suitable facility for our visual and performing arts students," said President Steven C. Beering. "Those barracks were considered temporary when we bought them used in the 1940s. The move also will allow us to consolidate our arts on the south side of campus. That will free the land on which the barracks sit for uses that better reflect the needs of the adjacent engineering mall." The rest of the visual and performing arts center would be funded by donations and is expected to include a 2,500-seat theater, space for the Purdue Musical Organizations, the Office of Convocations and Lectures, the WBAA radio stations, art galleries and a thrust theater for teaching. The new facility would be built at Marsteller and Wood streets. Work on the state-funded portion would start in early 2000 with completion two years later. $6.4 million to complete the third floor of the Technology Building constructed at Purdue North Central in 1994. The new space would be assigned to the nursing and English departments and would include two general academic classrooms. Relocating these departments would free space in the Library Student-Faculty Building, which would be renovated with the addition of two student lounges, game rooms, a fitness center and student activities office. The kitchen and dining areas would be expanded, as would the bookstore activities. In addition, space would be renovated for three additional classrooms. If approved, work would begin in early 2000 and be completed by fall 2001. In addition, the trustees approved a request for major repair and rehabilitation funding of $27.3 million for academic and administrative buildings on Purdue's four campuses. Sources: Kenneth Burns, vice president for business services, (765) 494-9706; e-mail, kpburns@vpbs.purdue.edu Frederick Ford, executive vice president and treasurer, (765) 494-9705 Wayne Kjonaas, vice president for physical facilities, (765) 494-8000; e-mail, wwkjonaas@physfac.purdue.edu Writer: Jeanne V. Norberg, (765) 494-2084; e-mail, jeanne_norberg@purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page