April 10, 2009

Purdue trustees OK construction, renovation contracts

The board also approved hiring an architect to plan construction of Marriott Hall, a proposed $12 million building that will house the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management. In addition, the trustees approved leases of facilities in New Albany and near Vincennes.

The Gatewood Wing will add approximately 85,000 gross square feet to the southwest of the existing Mechanical Engineering Building and will be designed to be the university's first LEED-certified facility by the U.S. Green Building Council. The council is a nonprofit organization composed of leaders from every sector of the building industry that works to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work.

The $19.9 million construction contract was awarded to R.L. Turner Corp., Zionsville, Ind. Construction is scheduled to begin during the week of May 18. Plans call for the project to be completed in April 2011.

The addition is named for 1968 graduate Roger B. Gatewood, who gave the key leadership gift of $8.7 million to the School of Mechanical Engineering in 2003 to support the learning and research facility. The building will be funded by bonds and gift funds.

It will house a 120-seat classroom, teaching labs, instructional space, breakout spaces for the Prototype Engineering and Realization Lab, faculty and graduate student offices, a graduate and an undergraduate commons, research laboratories, and an atrium that will spotlight mechanical engineering.

Construction to upgrade Shealy Hall is scheduled to begin after May's commencement. The project is the third phase of a five-phase planned renovation of the Windsor Residence Halls complex. Historical architectural elements will be repaired, community bathrooms will be renovated, and fire protection and handicap accessibility will be improved throughout the building. The building will receive a new elevator, and electrical and mechanical systems will be replaced.

After construction is completed in summer 2010, Shealy Hall will have 78 student rooms, seven of which will be in suites or have private baths. All rooms will be air-conditioned.

Kettlehut Construction of Lafayette received the $6.8 million contract. The project will be funded by bonds that will be repaid from user fees paid by residents within the self-supporting University Residences system. No tax dollars or university general fund money will be used.

Marriott Hall, which may be LEED-certified, will be located between State and First streets on the university's west side. Four houses owned by the Purdue Research Foundation are now on the site and slated for demolition. Plans call for materials from these houses to be recycled.

The facility will upgrade all areas of Purdue's hospitality programs. Plans for the new facility include a restaurant demonstration classroom that will seat more than 100 students, several new laboratories, a career center, a student services area and reception space.

There also will be larger venues as well as a central campus location and expanded areas for quantity food production to service the student-operated John Purdue Room restaurant and HTM Café.

The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation made the $5 million lead gift to construct Marriott Hall.

CSO Architects of Indianapolis was approved by the trustees to plan the building. Bids are tentatively scheduled to be opened in December, with construction planned to begin in March 2010. Construction is estimated to take about 18 months, with a completion date of September 2011.

Trustees also approved a lease of approximately 16,240 square feet for classrooms, laboratories and office space at the Purdue Technology Center of Southeast Indiana in New Albany to the Purdue Research Foundation.

Board members also approved a lease with Vincennes University for approximately 3 acres at the Southwest-Purdue Agricultural Center, four miles north of Vincennes, over a 20-year period. Vincennes plans to build a 32,600-square-foot classroom and technical training facility for its John Deere agribusiness and diesel programs. The facility also would provide classroom space to Purdue faculty who teach agricultural courses at Vincennes.

Writer: Greg McClure, 765-494-9394, gmcclure@purdue.edu

Sources: Robert McMains, vice president for Physical Facilities, 765-494-8000, remcmains@purdue.edu

John A. Sautter, vice president for Housing and Food Services, 765-494-1022, jasautter@purdue.edu

Dennis Savaiano, dean of College of Consumer and Family Sciences, 765-494-8210, savaiano@purdue.edu

Leah Jamieson, John A. Edwardson Dean of Engineering/Ransburg Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, 765-494-5346, lhj@purdue.edu  

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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