Purdue News

March 5, 1989 State-Of-The-Art Lecture Hall West Lafayette, Ind. -- Construction bids for a new $3.5 million lecture hall and bids on nearly $840,000 in renovation projects on Purdue University's West Lafayette campus were approved Friday (5/5) by the university's Board of Trustees. Bids for a new fine-arts building and theater at Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne were rejected because they greatly exceeded the funds available for the project. For the West Lafayette campus, the Purdue Class of 1950 is working toward a $1 million goal as its contribution to the $3.5 million cost of the 474-seat lecture hall project. So far, more than $780,000 in gifts and pledges has been raised by the class, said Pam Ritter, director of class gift programs in the University Development Office. The state-of-the-art lecture hall will be built as a replacement for the front of Peirce Hall (former Stanley Coulter Annex). The present structure, built in 1904, will be razed to make room for the lecture hall, which will connect to the newer, rear portion of Peirce Hall and Psychological Sciences Building. Frederick R. Ford, executive vice president and treasurer, said the 1904 structure is beyond the point of economical renovation to bring it into compliance with current safety and building codes. For the lecture hall, the board accepted a general construction bid of $2,335,000 from Kettelhut Construction Inc., Lafayette; a mechanical construction bid of $388,800 from Slutsky-Peltz Plumbing & Heating Co. Inc., South Bend; an electrical construction bid of $349,800 from Twin City Electric Co. Inc., Lafayette; and a fire protection bid of $72,900 from Culligan Fireprotection Inc., Indianapolis. Additional costs, such as architect and consultant fees, insurance, plan printing and asbestos removal from the old structure, will bring the total cost to the budgeted $3.5 million. Ford said $2. Million in university capital funds and $1 million in gift funds will be used for the project. When completed by the fall of 1990, the lecture hall will accommodate 20,000 student-contact hours of instruction per week, or five percent of all classroom instruction on the West Lafayette campus, said James F. Blakesley, director of Space Management and Academic Scheduling. He said the hall will be equipped with the latest audiovisual tools and will be capable of providing video, satellite and computer services as well. The columned brick exterior will feature window walls overlooking Memorial Mall. Bids for the planned $8.87 million fine-arts building and theater at Fort Wayne were rejected by the board. The bids exceeded the architect's estimate by a considerable amount, said Ford. He said the project will be redesigned and rebid later. Renovation projects on the West Lafayette campus approved by the board include: * Michael Golden Engineering Laboratories and Shops -- first floor renovation. Kettelhut Construction Inc., Lafayette. Total project budget: $243,000. * McCutcheon Residence Hall -- ceiling-tile replacement. J.R. Kelly Co. Inc., West Lafayette. Total project budget: $196,000. * Hovde Hall of Administration, Wetherill Laboratory of Chemistry and Lambert Fieldhouse -- recaulking. Mid-Continental Restoration Co. Inc., Fort Scott, Kan. Total project budget: $152,500. * Memorial Mall and Stadium Mall drives -- plaza site development. Hagerman Construction Corp., Fort Wayne. Total project budget: $248,000. On another construction item, the trustees approved a resolution calling for renovation of several laboratories in the Chemical Engineering Building. The resolution authorizes Purdue officials to use $393,000 from the 1989-91 state appropriations for repair and rehabilitation. Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page