The Board of Trustees approved Thursday the sale of bonds tofinance construction of the new Communication Media building, setto begin construction after the first of the year.
The board met Thursday for the first time since President Jo AnnGora took office to finalize changes for the university's plansthis year.
The new building, which will be located between BallCommunications Building and Robert Bell, will provide space fordigital media content, such as recording studios, and expand theCenter for Media Design, according to the board.
The $21 million project could be finished as early as the fallof 2006, according to construction plans for the building.
Gora said the communications building, along with the studentsand faculty involved in the digital media programs, could helppromote business and new technology in the communicationsindustry.
"This facility will give Ball State an outstanding environmentin which to continue our leading-edge efforts in creating contentfor digital media," Gora said.
Director of Facilities Planning and Management TomFrisbie-Fulton said the new building will largely serve as the mainfacility for the telecommunications department.
"It will be a combination of classes, offices, lecture halls,computer labs and recording studios," Frisbie-Fulton said. "We'reproviding lecture halls so more students can take classes they needand have more resources available to them."
Frisbie-Fulton said the public radio station will also move tothe new building to free up space for the media classes in BallCommunications.
"As for the structure, the classrooms will be centered around astudent lounge in the center of the building," Frisbie-Fulton said."The lounge will bring in natural daylight to most of the classesand will act as the main entrance to the telecommunicationsdepartment."
Protecting the environment is going to be a priority in theconstruction of the communications building, he said. The facilitywill comply with environmental standards from a nationalorganization, Leadership in Energy, Environment and Design,Frisbie-Fulton said.
"It will be made of some regenerated materials and will be amore energy efficient facility," Frisbie-Fulton said. "It's goingto be the first building on campus like that."
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