Kersey: State Budget Committee OKs $31 million in ISU improvements

INDIANAPOLIS — State Rep. Clyde Kersey (D-Terre Haute) announced today that more than $31 million in renovations to facilities on the Indiana State University campus have been approved by the State Budget Committee.

Kersey said committee members approved two separate projects during the group’s monthly business meeting at the Statehouse:

— $16.8 million to upgrade the dining facilities at Sycamore Towers.
— $15 million to renovate the Fine Arts and Commerce Building.

“These projects reflect the ongoing efforts by Indiana State to provide quality facilities to meet the demands of a growing student population,” Kersey said. “In both instances, the projects are aimed at improving buildings that have been landmarks on campus for years, and are in need of renovation.”

Sycamore Towers is one of only two student campus dining facilities at Indiana State. With the upcoming completion of Rhoads Hall, officials said an expansion is needed to serve an increasing number of resident student diners. The project also is designed to provide new restrooms, improve student security, and enhance ADA accessibility. Funds for the project will come from the university’s housing and dining system reserves, and tax-exempt borrowing to be repaid from the net operating revenues of the Housing and Dining System.

The Fine Arts and Commerce Building serves as the home for academic programs in the College of Arts and Science. Built in 1940, the facility is in need of renovation to replace critical building components and improve accessibility. The project also will enable the university to provide updated instructional technology. This project will be funded through an appropriation from the biennial state budget.

“In my time in the Indiana General Assembly, it has been my great pleasure to watch Indiana State’s campus grow and improve to adapt to the needs of students, teachers, administrators, and staff,” said Kersey, who is retiring this year after being in the Indiana House since 1996. “This work is a tribute to the foresight of the Indiana State community, and I have been delighted to play a small role in the university’s growth.”