Final approval given for $248 million engineering, veterinary projects at Purdue

INDIANAPOLIS – State Reps. Chris Campbell (D-West Lafayette) and Sheila J. Klinker (D-Lafayette) announced today that final approval has been secured for two major building projects at Purdue University that are designed to upgrade facilities and services for students in the engineering and veterinary services programs.

The lawmakers said members of the State Budget Committee approved two projects totaling $248 million during the group’s monthly business meeting at Purdue. They are:

• $140 million for construction of the new Engineering and Polytechnic Gateway Building that will be located where the Nuclear Engineering and Michael Golden Engineering Laboratories and Shops stand today.
• $108 million for construction of a Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital complex – consisting of an equine hospital, a small animal hospital, and a farm animal hospital—to be located on the south end of the West Lafayette campus adjacent to the existing Lynn Hall of Veterinary Medicine.

“The decision to proceed with the new Engineering and Polytechnic Gateway Building reflects the increased student interest and enrollment growth in these two areas,” Klinker said.

“Within the College of Engineering alone, this facility will provide room for first-year students, the industrial and nuclear engineering programs, and student success programs impacting women and minorities. It also will provide space for a number of programs overseen by the Polytechnic Institute, including the School of Engineering Technology, the School of Construction Management Technology, Computer Information and Graphics, and the Office of Student Recruiting, Retention and Diversity.

“Completion of this building will increase the quality and quantity of instructional lab space for multiple departments, and expand the on-campus learning environment to the online world, allowing for the growth of online course offerings and the creation of virtual laboratories,” she added.

Campbell said the construction of the new Veterinary Hospital will provide state-of-the-art facilities and provide greater access to technological advancements in medicine.

“Purdue has one of only four veterinary colleges in the country that provide instruction in the full range of medical services for animals,” Campbell said.

“The three hospitals included in this project will house receiving, waiting and examination rooms, intensive care units, and facilities for surgery, radiology, cardiology, physical therapy and internal medicine. Once completed, there will be room for increased class sizes and improved ability to handle teaching and clinical functions.

“These projects are examples of a concerted effort by the university to meet the needs of a student population that is constantly growing and evolving,” she continued. “It is a pleasure to see the state move to approve projects that will have a lasting impact for the Purdue community for decades into the future.”

Both projects will be funded through a combination of fee-replaced debt, operating reserves and gift funds.

Construction of both projects is expected to begin in March 2020. The Veterinary Hospital is scheduled to open in March 2022, while the Engineering and Polytechnic Gateway Building is expected to open in December 2022.