Purdue trustees OK renovation, Ross-Ade lighting

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University trustees on Friday (Oct. 14) approved moving forward on projects to renovate portions of the Hall for Discovery and Learning Research (DLR) and to install permanent field lighting at Ross-Ade Stadium to allow for night football games.

The approval to plan, finance, construct and award a construction contract for DLR would renovate the third and fourth floors as well as related supplemental space. The main thrust of the project, which supports the Pillars of Excellence in the Life Sciences initiative, calls for improved lab, collaborative and office spaces for the Purdue Institute of Integrative Neuroscience and Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease.

The main renovations are projected to cost up to $12 million, which would come from Purdue’s institutional reserve for life sciences pillars within Purdue Moves. If an additional funding source is identified, up to $5 million would be used for renovations of other campus space needed to support the initiative.

Suresh Garimella, executive vice president for research and partnerships and Goodson Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering, said renovations would provide usable space to foster collaboration across a broad range of experiences and multiple departments and convert underused space into research areas that support key university initiatives that involve the Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience and the Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease.

Construction is anticipated to start in June 2017 and be completed in May 2018.

Trustees also approved a resolution granting approval to plan, finance and construct, as well as to seek participation from the Ross-Ade Foundation, in a project to install permanent field lighting at Ross-Ade Stadium. This would meet Big Ten contractual requirements for night football games that will be scheduled by the conference moving forward.

Currently Purdue, Michigan State and Northwestern are the only Big Ten programs without permanent lighting, and Michigan State plans to install permanent lighting for next season.

The estimated project cost of $5.6 million would be paid through gift funds. Construction is expected to begin in March 2017 and be complete in August 2017.

In other action, trustees:

* Approved a two-year plan to streamline business processes and remove certain structural impediments within SAP. The plan, estimated to cost $25 million, identifies three areas of required transformation: the general ledger and related university chart of accounts, human capital management, and enterprise asset management. Bill Sullivan, Purdue treasurer and chief financial officer, said the plan will ultimately result in financial transparency and reporting across the university, a reduction in complexity, simplified workflow, and a removal of duplicative and redundant business and IT activities. Over the coming days and weeks, the project team will share additional information about the projects.

* Approved a recommendation to use Anthem as the insurer for the university-provided preventive dental plan that covers all benefits-eligible employees and dependents on a Purdue medical plan. The change provides a savings to employees who purchase additional coverage from the provider and to the university, which will continue to fund preventive coverage. Over the two-year contract, savings are anticipated to be $662,000 for employees and an additional $681,000 for the university. Purdue estimates coverage will cost $5 million for the proposed two-year contract, which begins on Jan. 1. 

Sources: Michael B. Cline, vice president for physical facilities, 765-494-8000

Suresh Garimella, 765-494-6209, sureshg@purdue.edu

Tom Schott, senior associate athletics director, tschott@purdue.edu

Bill Sullivan, sully1976@purdue.edu