Purdue Continues Construction After 70 Summer Projects

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Students returning to Purdue University this fall will see some changes after construction crews spent the summer completing more than 70 projects on campus.

The improvements totaled $17 million and ranged from routine repairs and maintenance to significant renovations. The major interior renovation of Grissom Hall, for instance, was completed earlier this month, transforming the historic building into a more modern and efficient space.

Construction will continue on some projects as the fall semester begins. One major project in the works is the new Thomas S. and Harvey D. Wilmeth Active Learning Center. The 164,000-square-foot building will be the first at the university to blend classroom and library space. It will consolidate six engineering and science libraries that are currently spread across campus, 30,000 volumes and 27 classrooms.

The $79 million Active Learning Center is slated for completion in summer 2017. Funding for the project comes from several sources: $50 million from the state, $13 million from the university and $16 million from donors, according to the Lafayette Journal & Courier.

Work on the new Honors College and Residences facility will also continue with an expected completion date of fall 2016. The $71 million complex combines 800 residential beds, four multipurpose classrooms and office space for Honors and University Residences faculty and staff. The 324,000-square-foot complex comprises a north and south building that will feature a science, technology, engineering, agriculture, art and mathematics lab.

Despite the area’s record rainfall, all projects remain on schedule. Students should continue to check the university’s construction travel impact map to plan alternate routes to certain campus destinations.