Dive Brief:
- Purdue University trustees approved a 10-year capital plan Aug. 2 to guide its state funding requests for the 2025 to 2027 period, according to a news release.
- The plan prioritizes facility renovations, facility replacements where appropriate and the addition of new space only when needed, said Jay Wasson, Purdue vice president for physical facilities and chief public safety officer, 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 library facilities.
Dive Insight:
One of the cornerstone projects in Purdue University’s near-term legislative capital request is its Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Research Building project, according to the release.
The $160 million investment features a 140,000-square-foot facility for research institutes, such as the Purdue University Institute of Cancer Research and other life science research on campus. Of the project’s total cost, about $90 million is requested from the state, according to the release. Purdue expects construction to start in the spring of 2026, with completion by the fall of 2028.
The 10-year plan also identifies a 110,000-square-foot student housing facility that would feature 375 beds, first-floor kitchen, classrooms and study spaces. The project totals around $56 million. Construction would begin in the fall of 2026 and be completed by the fall of 2028, according to the release.
Student housing at Purdue University has been at full capacity for six consecutive fall semesters, jumping nearly 21% from the previous year. The university recently selected Providence, Rhode Island-based builder Gilbane to build a roughly $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 converting the existing campus bookstore into a multimedia center for the College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences.
Of the project’s total $23 million cost, Purdue is seeking $19 million from the state, according to the release.
School officials expect all three projects to start construction in 2026, with completion planned by the fall of 2028.
