IU’s campus is known for its lush greenery and historic limestone buildings. However, the presence of those trademark characteristics doesn’t mean the university is complacent to make upgrades. Thomas Morrison, Vice President for Capital Planning and Facilities, presented IU’s capital plan for the next 10 years, which will improve the buildings used by students and staff.
Aimed to give them a better environment to learn and teach, the upcoming renovation projects are aimed to begin in 2024.
Overall, IU’s capital plan which includes major building and renovations projects on campus for the next 10 years is continuing to invest in on-campus renovations and repairs. This includes an expansion of teaching and research labs as well as an investment in health sciences.
IU is prioritizing renovations for Wells Quad, public health facilities and STEM buildings. Other renovations include IU’s football stadium, Memorial Stadium, which will continue through 2027, and student housing, which will continue through 2032.
The upcoming renovation plans come as IU continues to deal with high building costs and labor market issues. With IU not having many bids for their projects this last year, half of the campus’s projects were over estimate in the bidding market, according to the Herald-Times.
Morrison told the H-T that the cost of materials has been decreasing and returning to pre-inflation costs. However, he said finding workers to complete the projects is a continuous issue.
Moving forward, the capital plan will be sent to the Commission for Higher Education and the State Budget Agency. Next year, it will be reviewed by state legislatures.
