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Dive Brief:
- Purdue University trustees approved a 10-year capital plan Aug. 2 to guide their requests for state funding for the period 2025 to 2027, according to a press release.
- The plan prioritizes facility renovations, facility replacements when needed and adding new spaces only when needed, said Jay Wasson, vice president of physical facilities and chief public safety officer of Purdue, in the release.
- Major construction projects in the plan include a $160 million life sciences research building, a $56 million student housing building, and a $23 million renovation of the student union and the library facilities.
Diving knowledge:
According to the release, one of the core projects of Purdue University’s short-term legislative capital request is its Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Research Building Project.
The $160 million investment includes a 140,000-square-foot facility for research institutes, such as the Purdue University Cancer Research Institute and other life sciences research on campus. Of the total cost of the project, about $90 million is being sought from the state, according to the statement. Purdue expects construction to begin in the spring of 2026, with completion in the fall of 2028.
The 10-year plan also identifies 110,000 square feet of student housing that would have 375 beds, a first-floor kitchen, classrooms and study spaces. The project totals about 56 million dollars. Construction would begin in the fall of 2026 and be completed in the fall of 2028, according to the release.
Student housing at Purdue University has been at full capacity six consecutive fall semesters, increasing by almost 21% compared to the previous year. The university recently selected builder Gilbane of Providence, Rhode Island, to build an approximately $90 million apartment complex to provide additional space.
Finally, the plan incorporates the renovation of 29,000 square feet of space within the Hammond Student Union Library building. The ground floor renovation will include the conversion of the existing campus bookstore into a multimedia center for the Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences.
Of the total $23 million cost of the project, Purdue is seeking $19 million from the state, according to the release.
School officials expect construction on all three projects to begin in 2026, with completion expected in the fall of 2028.
