TERRE HAUTE —
Indiana State University has received the final go-ahead to proceed with renovation of the former federal building, which will become the new home of the Scott College of Business.
The State Budget Committee authorized the $20 million project when it met Wednesday in Indianapolis.
Private donors will fund about $11 million of the project. The other $9 million comes from bonding authorization approved by the Indiana General Assembly in 2009.
The Scott College of Business hopes to make the move to Seventh and Cherry streets by fall semester 2012. Currently, it is in a 15-story building originally built as a residence hall (part of the Statesman Towers).
“It’s been a long time coming for many people who have been in this [Statesman Tower] building,” said Nancy Merritt, Scott College of Business dean. The college moved to the current facility about 30 years ago as “a temporary space,” she said.
“The facility that we’ll move into is so enlivening,” she said. “Not only will we have some historic preservation going on, but we are building in the best technologies and learning spaces as well as spaces to bring in community members, particularly business community members, to interact with our students and faculty.”
With the current building, that interaction is more difficult because departments are scattered on many different floors. The ISU Foundation already has raised a significant portion of funding needed for the project, more than $6.5 million, Merritt said. “We still have work to do.”
Retired businessman Donald W. Scott, for whom the college was named in October 2009, provided a substantial gift for renovation of the federal building.
Others providing gifts include Sackrider and Co., which is assisting with a Sycamore Business Advisers resource room.
Also, Nancy and Randy Minas have donated funds for the Financial Trading Room, which will double in size at the new location.
Architectural work for the renovation project is complete, and plans call for bids to be awarded in early 2011, with construction expected to be complete as early as August 2012.
ISU President Dan Bradley thanked the budget committee for its support of the project, which will enable the university to better serve students, the community and the state, he said.
He gave special thanks to state Rep. Clyde Kersey, state Sen. Tim Skinner, state Sen. Luke Kenley, who is chairman of the budget committee and U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh, who supported the project at the federal level.
ISU assumed ownership of the former federal building in 2009. Prior to transfer of ownership, the federal government invested $6.3 million to rehabilitate the building, install a fire alarm system and add a new south facade and entry.
The goal is for the south side to eventually serve as the main entrance, Merritt said.
The federal building was constructed in 1932. With the upcoming renovation, the interior of the building will be redesigned to meet the needs of the Business College while the outdated cooling, electrical, heating, and ventilation systems will be replaced. Classrooms also will be constructed.
The former federal courtroom will be preserved and serve as the College and Community Conference Center.
The Scott College of Business has about 1,200 students this fall.
The property owned by the Vigo County School Corp. south of the federal building is “of interest,” Merritt said. The VCSC administration building is at 686 Wabash Ave.
The move of the Scott College of Business into the former federal building will then allow for demolition of Statesman Towers on the northeast side of the ISU campus. In a news release, Kersey, D-Terre Haute, stated that the federal building “has been a landmark in our community since 1932. We will be able to preserve a historic structure while upgrading what ISU can offer its students in the Donald W. Scott College of Business. It is a great solution to preserving the historic while preparing for the future.”
The State Budget Committee also agreed to allow $1,627,985 to be used to renovate seven undergraduate science research laboratories at ISU.
The project will be funded with $1,560,518 in National Science Foundation grants, with the remainder from university funds. Most of the labs have not been upgraded since they were built more than 50 years ago, Kersey said.
The improvements will enable biology, chemistry and geology faculty members to conduct their research using modern equipment while making the most efficient use of the space, Kersey stated.
Sue Loughlin can be reached at (812) 231-4235 or sue.loughlin@tribstar.com.
News
ISU cleared to renovate federal building
State Budget Committee authorizes $20M project; private donors funding $11M
- News
-
-
Valentine's Day a rosy business
Red roses, mixed bouquets and even a bonsai tree or two are being delivered today on perhaps the nation’s sweetest holiday.
-
Downtown gets Wi-Fi ‘hotspot’
Frontier Communications has reached an agreement with city officials to create a Wi-Fi “hotspot” covering much of downtown Terre Haute.
-
Board OKs $5.4M in work at schools
The Vigo County School Board has approved borrowing $5.4 million for an expansion of DeVaney Elementary School and energy-related projects at 15 other schools.
-
Stella’s Cafe downtown plans to close March 2
Not long after changing its name from Bit of Britain Tea Room to Stella’s Cafe, a downtown restaurant has announced plans to close its doors.
-
Bill would ease college credit transfers
Indiana college students worried about whether their credit hours will transfer to another university may get some relief if a proposed higher-education bill passes.
-
Court alters trial date for man accused in 1979 death case
A trial date has changed for a Riley man accused of a 1979 homicide.
-
Shift to online raises school cost concerns
Legislation that would require high school students in Indiana to take at least one online course is meeting resistance from some school administrators who say they can’t afford any more mandates from the state.
-
Cops nab man after squad car struck
A West Terre Haute man was arrested Monday after a police pursuit that began after his vehicle collided with a Terre Haute police car.
-
Victim unhurt when robbed by gunman
Terre Haute police were searching late Monday night for a suspect accused of using a gun to rob another person at about 7 p.m.
-
Man face gun charge after woman shot in leg
A Terre Haute man faces a misdemeanor firearms charge following an accidental shooting during the weekend.
-
Martinsville hoops coach accused of indecency
A top Indiana boys’ basketball coach faces a misdemeanor public indecency charge after Indianapolis police say an officer found him in “a state of nudity” in his car in the company of a teenage girl.
-
Packing the hall
If you didn’t come early, the seats were hard to find.
-
Alternative-fuel project has Rose, ISU students all charged up
The future of Earth’s auto industry is intertwined with the career prospects of local university students, and a world-class team shined with green energy Sunday.
-
Montford Point Marine
In 1943, 19-year-old Ezell Odom was on the sandy beach of a tiny South Pacific island about 7,000 miles from his parent’s home in Terre Haute.
-
K-9 officer Shadow honored as a hero
A Terre Haute K-9 officer injured in the line of duty has been honored as a hero by the Indiana Veterinary Medical Association.
-
Freezin’ for a Reason
Hundreds lined up outside Hulman Center amid frigid air to participate in a warm-hearted cause.
-
Even as law, right-to-work dominates crackerbarrel
The flames of the right-to-work debate were gone, but the coals still seemed to smolder.
-
Vigo School Board to give OK on bonds for DeVaney project
The Vigo County School Board will meet at 6 p.m. Monday in the administration building, 686 Wabash Ave.
-
Bridging the gap to ‘forever’
They can be taken from their homes by strangers for reasons they may not understand, with no possessions other than the clothes they are wearing.
-
Students showcase keen problem-solving skills at Rose-Hulman
For the 16th straight year, Honey Creek Middle School students came out on top in the Wabash Valley MATHCOUNTS competition at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.
-
Ivy Tech to celebrate Black History Month
Ivy Tech Community College will celebrate Black History Month with a series of events at its campuses statewide.
-
Giant welcome home for Steve
Terre Haute was suddenly home to thousands of cheering New York Giants fans Friday as residents welcomed Super Bowl champion Steve Weatherford back home for a parade.
-
‘One for Terre Haute,’ Steve tells crowd at North
“This one was for Terre Haute,” native son Steve Weatherford proclaimed Friday as he shared his Super Bowl victory with the community that helped send him on the path to a world championship.
-
Hometown support vital to success, Weatherford says
Steve Weatherford said Friday he wouldn’t be celebrating a Giants’ Super Bowl victory if not for the support he’s received from his hometown, his parents and mentors in his life.
-
Craning for a rare glimpse
A visitor from the Far East has naturalists flying to Linton, hoping some good comes from one bird’s bad directions.
-
Vigo’s primary election filings complete
The slate is set for the May 8 primary election, with the race for three at-large seats on the Vigo County Council drawing the largest pool of candidates at the county level.
-
Documentary on electric vehicles plays Sunday at Rose
The rising popularity of electric vehicles and their impact on the world eco-system is the focus of a documentary, “Revenge of the Electric Car,” being presented at 3 p.m. Sunday in Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology’s Hatfield Hall Theater.
-
Man gets 10-year sentence in battery case
A West Terre Haute man received a 10-year prison sentence Friday after pleading guilty to aggravated battery for beating a friend caught in bed with the man’s wife.
-
Slow drips: It’s maple syrup season in Indiana
More seasonal, colder temperatures will hit the Wabash Valley this weekend, which is ideal weather for maple syrup production, said Keith Ruble, superintendent of the Vigo County Parks and Recreation Department.
However, Ruble voices concern that this year’s maple syrup season may be short.
-
Downtown restaurant celebrates expansion
The streets of Terre Haute were chilly Thursday night, but for the glow of hot pasta inside Louise’s Pizzeria and Cafe.
- More News Headlines
-
Raw Video: Biden Greets Chinese VP for Visit
Authorities: Houston Found Underwater in Tub
Whitney Houston Funeral to Be Invitation Only
Raw Video: Heavy Shelling in Homs, Syria
Raw Video: 5 People Injured in Bangkok Blasts
Bacteria Keep Swimmers Off Some Fla. Beaches
New Details in Search for Missing Utah Mom
Trial Opens for Ala. Man in Bride's Diving Death
Raw Video: Kim Jong Il Statue Unveiled
Baltimore's 'Crime Stopper' Is a Basketball Star
Raw Video: Hearse Arrives at N.J. Funeral Home
Arm Wrestler Not Guilty Plea in Wife's Death
Raw Video: Houston Body Flown From L.A. to N.J.
First Person: Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show
Raw Video: Whitney Houston's Last Performance
Obama: Good US-China Ties Help the Whole World
Raw Video: Protesters, Security Clash in Bahrain
And the Winner for Best Super Bowl Ad Is...
Obama's New Budget: The Winners and Losers
School Pays Students to Attend Class
Kim K. Wet, Wild and Natural
Ultimate Tazer Ball is a Shocking New Sport
Shakira Attacked By Sea Lion
Modern day treasure hunter searching for $3 billion prize
What Happened Inside Whitney's Hotel Room?
Saying 'I Love You' With a Sewage Plant Tour
VS Models Wow for V-Day
Olympic Swimmer Proposes on Podium After Big Win
Kate Upton MLB 2K12 Commercial
Watch: Whitney Houston's Golden Hearse
Scarlett Johansson's Bikini P-D-A
Man Allegedly Drowns Wife While Scuba Diving
Glee Pays Tribute to Whitney
Wash. becomes 7th state to okay same-sex marriage
Romijn's 60 Pound Weight Loss
The 'Celebrity Apprentice' Cast Meets Donald Trump
Kissing contest heats up
Hugh Hefner's Son Arrested
Jacqueline Kennedy's personal papers released
Did Tyler Perry Have a Secret Wedding?
