Spring Break
$50M Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences state spending cap leaves fourth floor unfinished
Greg Gentile
Issue date: 11/25/08 Section: News
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"It wants to be a $60 million project," said Director of Capital Projects Paul DePace. DePace said, explaining the expense to finish the floor was higher than expected for many reasons, including inflation and the rise in construction rates.
On the fourth floor, administration offices will be in one wing and research labs will be in the other, according to DePace.
Leaving the floor unfinished is called "shelling the space."
"By shelling space we can then raise additional dollars to build-out…we can make the state investment go farther," Dean of the College of Environment and Life Sciences Jeff Seemann said.
The reason for shelling the space is to maximize the amount of state-of-the-art facilities available to students.
"We intentionally spent the state bond dollars on the most important parts of the building," Seemann said.
Ten years ago it was brought to the attention of DePace that the biological science programs and facilities needed an upgrade. Planning soon began, and state funding was capped at $50 million.
Enrollment in the College of Environment and Life Sciences (CELS) has been increasing according to DePace, and the plans needed to account for these changes.
CELS and Capitol Projects met with Payette Associates, a design lab from Boston to come up with a solution. The goal was to meet the immediate necessities first, while accounting for the "growing appetite," DePace said.
"This was the best strategy, with the appetite expanding in the science programs," DePace said.
The incomplete fourth floor leaves a void in the necessities of the CELS. CELS's administration will have to remain in their existing offices while awaiting the completion of the fourth floor.
The absence of new offices does seem to be a problem Seemann said.
"My priorities don't put a new office for me very high at all. I am much more concerned about new space for students and faculty," Seemann said.
Students are happy with the choices the administration concerning this choice.
"It makes me happy that I attend a college that would plan ahead and put us [students] in front of their personal gain or preference," Freshman and pharmacy major Stephanie Weldon said.
DePace said there is no immediate date set when the fourth floor will be completed, or a dollar an exact dollar amount on how much it will cost for it to be finished.
"It all depends on the success of the fundraising effort that is currently underway," DePace said.
