Purdue News

March 18, 1988 Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory Indianapolis, Ind. -- Planning for a new Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory for the state of Indiana and renovation work on the 60-year old Geosciences Building to turn it into part of a new student-services complex at Purdue University have received authorization to proceed. The Purdue Board of Trustees approved the projects today (3/18) at a meeting at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis. State funding for the $9 million Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory recently was approved by the 1988 Indiana General Assembly. The laboratory is administered by Purdue as a service for the Indiana Board of Animal Health, which included the facility in its budget request to the 1987 General Assembly. "The present facility is antiquated and too small to meet the needs of Indiana's animal producers with accurate animal-disease diagnoses," said H. Leon Thacker, director of the laboratory. "A new facility will ensure that we will be able to meet the growing demand for our services." Frederick R. Ford, executive vice president and treasurer, said state approval of the project will authorize Purdue to borrow $9 million to finance the project. Ford said the state will start paying back the loan beginning in 1990, when the facility is slated to be completed. The trustees' approval to proceed with renovations of the Geosciences Building, which will become part of a new student-services complex, means that university officials are authorized to use $785,000 from the 1987-89 repair and rehabilitation state funds, said Kenneth P. Burns, vice president for physical facilities. He said the project will modernize the interior of the 1929 building with new office clusters and upgraded lighting, climate control and surface rehabilitation. The building and a planned addition, adjacent to Hovde Hall, will incorporate such student services as admissions, the dean of students' office, international student services, financial aid and student finance. Burns said authorization and funding for the nearly 32,000-squarefoot addition came last year, and funding for the renovation of the existing structure is considered a separate project financially. Ford said, "Not only will the building help consolidate various student services, making them more easily accessible to students, but it will provide more space for those activities." He said the trustees' approval is subject to review by the Commission for Higher Education and recommendation by the State Budget Committee and the State Budget Agency. The Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences will relocate to the Civil Engineering addition upon its completion, Ford said. Burns said project bids should be completed by late spring, with a target completion date of the facility by late 1990. Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page