U trustees approve projects for School of Informatics and Computing, SPEA, IMU and Wells Quad

April 17, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — The Indiana University Board of Trustees approved four construction and renovation projects on the IU Bloomington campus today, including a new 125,000-square-foot building for the School of Informatics and Computing.

The trustees approved the design for the Paul H. O’Neill Graduate Center addition to the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, a project they authorized in October. They also approved renovations to the Indiana Memorial Union’s Biddle Hotel and buildings in Wells Quad.

“The School of Informatics and Computing and SPEA projects will provide much-needed academic space and amenities to support the academic mission of the campus,” said Tom Morrison, IU vice president for capital planning and facilities. “The IMU and Wells Quad renovations will create modern and attractive residential spaces for students and comfortable, welcoming rooms for campus visitors. We look forward to completing these projects and putting the new facilities into use.”

The School of Informatics and Computing building will be constructed at the northeast corner of Cottage Grove and Woodlawn avenues, one block north of the school’s current facilities. The estimated $39.8 million project will be funded through school funds, research funds and private gifts.

The project is expected to bring together many facets of the school, including programs in computer science, informatics and library sciences, in a collaborative environment. The facility will include an innovation center, a series of team work rooms, meeting spaces, classrooms, faculty offices and a large lecture hall.

The School of Public and Environmental Affairs project is a three-story, 34,000-square-foot addition to the current SPEA building. The design approved by the trustees includes a 2,300-square-foot student commons, classrooms, meeting areas and faculty offices. The center will incorporate IU’s traditional limestone building materials and feature a multi-story glass curtain wall facing 10th Street.

The SPEA project is expected to cost $12 million and will be partially funded by a $3 million gift from former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Paul H. O’Neill, the largest private donation in SPEA’s history.

The Indiana Memorial Union renovation will upgrade 189 guest rooms in the IMU’s Biddle Hotel. It will include the installation of new furnishings, replacement of the current roof and updates to the electrical, lighting, plumbing, mechanical and telecommunications infrastructure. The estimated $8 million project will be funded through IMU renovation funds.

Goodbody Hall and Memorial Hall in Wells Quad will be renovated and repurposed from academic space to student housing. Both facilities were originally built as residence halls. Memorial Hall, built in 1924, was the first IU-constructed women’s dorm; and Goodbody Hall opened in 1936. The renovation will add 182 beds to student housing along with a 200-seat dining hall. The estimated $30 million project will be funded through auxiliary revenue bonds repaid by Residential Programs and Services funds.

The trustees reviewed the projects in a Facilities and Auxiliaries Committee meeting Thursday and gave them official approval in a business meeting today.

http://asumag.com/new-construction/indiana-university-moves-forward-4-construction-projects

http://news.iu.edu/releases/iu/2015/04/trustees-project-approval.shtml