UTAH STATE IS SPROUTING, BUT WE’RE NOT TALKING FLOWERS
Students and faculty returning to Utah State University for the new school year will notice some changes to the scenery. Similar to the flowers, the new buildings at Utah State are in full bloom.
This year, Utah State has been busy with construction beginning on seven new buildings and a large parking structure, as well as continuing construction on the library expansion.
Aside from the projects beginning this year, construction will be complete on three buildings this fall, including the new Edith Bowen Laboratory School, USDA Poisonous Plant Research Laboratory and the USU Research Foundation Administration Building.
“It is important for Utah State to continue to build new buildings,” said Darrell Hart, assistant vice president for Facilities. “We have combined the replacement of old buildings and some additional square footage to accommodate growth and to accomplish our overall goal, which is to provide quality learning space.”
The additional square footage being added includes a recital hall which will be located next to the Chase Fine Arts Center, replacing some of the previous parking lot. The 15,000-square foot hall will feature an intimate seating arrangement for approximately 400 patrons, and will rival international halls in acoustical, architectural and landscaping details upon its completion in December 2005.
Another main area where students may notice change is at the west end of campus. Excavation has begun for a new living/learning community and parking structure to be located where the old heating plant and Haight Alumni House parking lot used to stand. The six-building complex will house over 500 students and will be located atop a new 603-car parking structure.
Along with the new recital hall, housing complex and parking structure, construction is also underway on the USU Research Foundation Molecular Building. This new structure will provide 22,975 square feet of laboratory and office space, reinforcing Utah State’s mission as a research university.
The libraries at Utah State are another example of improving and adding space for learning and research. Construction is halfway complete on the expansion of the Cazier Science and Technology Library. This expansion will replace the aging Merrill Library, scheduled to come down in the spring of 2006, and will be considered the intellectual center of campus.
“A library is central to the intellectual life of a university,” Linda Wolcott, vice provost for libraries and instructional support, said. “This new library will be a signature building for campus – a place where people will want to be – a place where academics come first.”
Although campus may currently look like one large construction zone, a new level of learning and research is on the horizon. Within the past two years, Utah State has already completed construction on the new Engineering building, the Calibration and Optical Research Center, located on Innovation Campus, as well as other additions on and off-campus.
“It is important for USU to improve the existing buildings and where possible to add space that is flexible, to more easily accommodate change,” said Hart. “There are so many physical influences on the quality of the learning experience- it’s important that the buildings make the learning experience better.”
More information on the current construction projects can be found on the university Web site at http://www.usu.edu/housing/, or the Facilities Web site at http://fac.usu.edu/.