Purdue trustees approve lab renovation, new residence hall, cooling tower
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue University Board of Trustees on Tuesday (July 12) approved renovations to the west wing of the Lilly Hall of Life Sciences and construction of a new residence hall at the West Lafayette campus.
On Monday (July 11) the board's Physical Facilities Committee approved a Stewart Center sprinkler system and energy efficiency upgrades across the Purdue Calumet campus.
The trustees approved a $4.8 million contract for Kettlehut Construction Co. of Lafayette, Ind., to renovate labs, offices, corridors, restrooms and an elevator in Lilly Hall while also upgrading air supply and exhaust systems. The total cost for the Phase VII Lilly renovation is $6.3 million, which will be paid for from university repair and rehabilitation funds.
The board also approved construction of the energy-efficient 300-bed Vawter Field residence hall, which will be designed to achieve at least a silver rating under the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED rating system. The hall will include a small restaurant and a convenience store that will be open at night to support activities in the adjacent Center for Student Excellence and Leadership.
"This hall will meet the specific needs of upperclassmen and student learning communities," said Barbara Frazee, executive director of University Residences. "Studies show that students who are part of the close-knit community we provide are more likely to have higher levels of academic success."
The $39.9 million residence hall will be designed by Scholer Corp. of Lafayette, Ind. It will be paid for from $30.4 million in user fees with the remainder coming from departmental funds.
A new $4.1 million fire alarm and sprinkler system will be installed in areas of Stewart Center that are currently without sprinklers. The center includes a library and archives, televisions and stage production facilities, student club offices, computer labs, and conference space. The committee approved a $325,000 design contract for Applied Engineering Services of Indianapolis. The project will be paid for from university repair and rehabilitation funds.
The committee also approved a $2.1 million contract for Performance Services of Indianapolis to retrofit lighting; electrical; and heating, ventilation and air conditioning controls across the Calumet campus. The upgrades will be paid for from qualified energy savings proceeds. The QES program was re-established by the trustees in 2010 to facilitate sustainability initiatives that pay for themselves through energy savings over 10 years or less.
"Purdue continues to pursue ways to stretch every dollar for which it is responsible," said Al Diaz, executive vice president for business and finance, treasurer. "We're making investments in more efficient energy solutions that pay for themselves in the short term, which could reduce the need for investments in energy production in the long term.
In another efficiency initiative, the trustees also approved a $1.9 million contract for Gariup Construction Co. of Gary, Ind., to demolish and replace a 40-year-old cooling tower at Purdue Calumet. The project budget has increased from $1.5 million in 2010 to the current $2.6 million because it also is necessary to replace the tower's electrical and mechanical infrastructure. The project will be paid for from Calumet reserve funds.
In other business, the board voted to approve the university's participation in the construction of Seng-Liang Wang Hall of Electrical and Computer Engineering on Northwestern Avenue across from Purdue Mall. The proposal was initially approved in February by the Physical Facilities Committee.
Purdue Research Foundation is building the complex that will include commercial space. Purdue will contribute $18 million towards construction and lease space at favorable terms for the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. That money includes $15 million in gifts with the remainder coming from the capital reserve for buildings.
Writer: Jim Schenke, 765-494-6262, jschenke@purdue.edu
Sources: Al Diaz, 765-494-9705, aldiaz@purdue.edu
Barbara Frazee, 765-494-1000, bjfrazee@purdue.edu
Robert McMains, vice president for physical facilities, 765-494-8000, remcmains@purdue.edu
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