During the next four years, several Ball State University buildings will undergo two phases of construction, a university official said.
The Teachers College, North Quad and Applied Science and Technology buildings will be renovated, with completion planned by 2012, said Randy Howard, associate vice president of finance and assistant treasurer.
Phase I, a $33 million project, will consist of central campus' academic renovations and utility and system updates. The Indiana General Assembly has already approved Phase I's funding; however, Ball State has not yet received the money.
"Once the General Assembly approves, you still have to go through the State Budget Agency and then Commission for Higher Education," Howard said. "And we don't intend to start construction, and therefore don't need money, probably until mid-2009."
Planning for Phase II just started. The $19.7 million project is being proposed as part of the capital request for next year. It is part of the legislative request of $290 million the Ball State's Board of Trustees recently approved. Thomas DeWeese, president of the Board of Trustees, was unavailable for comment.
Howard is optimistic the approved budgets will be enough to cover the cost of renovations. However the state's budgeting process runs three to four years in advance, which means the initial price of construction could increase. Phase II might not be started until 2011.
"We have no way of knowing what inflation is going to do," Howard said. "In the past year or so, gasoline has skyrocketed. If it keeps going at that pace, who knows if the 19.7 will be enough."
Every year, the state has a formula based on the age and square footage of the building to determine the cost maintaining the buildings, Howard said.
Facilities planning and management department does an assessment of all the campus buildings. The university takes into account the condition of the buildings and which have the highest needs when deciding renovation plans.
The Teachers College, North Quad and Applied Science and Technology buildings are the last three old buildings to be renovated yet, said Kevin Kenyon, associate vice president of facilities planning and management.
Actual renovation or construction of the three buildings has not begun, but the university has started planning.
"We're meeting with the deans of each building to decide what functional changes they want," Howard said.
There are four main components the planners want to incorporate into the projects. The first two are functional and cosmetic, which aim to improve building systems and outer look. The third is life safety, which makes sure the elevators and stairways are up to code. The fourth is compliance to the American Disability Association.
"The Teachers College will be mostly adding sprinklers to the building, doing some code-related work for the fire safety and modernizing the electrical systems and mechanical systems," Kenyon said.
The university will replace the infrastructure, such as air handlers, electrical and distribution systems, in North Quad and Applied Science and Technology buildings.
The administration building, Burkhardt and the Fine Arts Building are three buildings that have been renovated. DeHority and the L.A. Pittenger Student Center are two buildings undergoing renovation this summer.
The university hopes renovation will extend the life of the buildings, Kenyon said.
Achieving higher enrollment is also a goal for the renovation as part of the Strategic Plan.
Matt Boles, a senior sports administration major, said he thinks the nicer a campus looks, the bigger difference it would make with enrollment numbers.
Construction around campus has yet to become an inconvenience for many students.
Aaron Newport, a junior telecommunications major, said he has hardly been affected.
"I have had to walk around some of it," he said.
However, some might think the amount of money spent might be extravagant.
"The money might be a little excessive," Newport said. "There might be something more important than appearance."
As part of the Strategic Plan, the university plans to be completely finished with all renovations by 2012, Howard said.
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