State Budget Committee approves two Tippecanoe County projects

INDIANAPOLIS – State Rep. Sheila Klinker (D-Lafayette) said the State Budget Committee approved two projects in Tippecanoe County: expansion of Purdue’s McCutcheon Hall bathrooms in the south tower and replacement of the roof on Dewey Hall at the Veterans’ Home.

The committee gave its approval during a business meeting today on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington.

The $4.8 million for the McCutcheon project will allow the beginning of phase five of the nine-part renovation plan for the residence hall. The segment will expand and refurbish the bathrooms on all eight floors of the south tower. The number of private showers will double to eight on each floor. The project will require new electrical, exhaust and plumbing.

The committee also approved $101,375 for the replacement of the 9,280 square foot roof on Dewey Hall at the Indiana Veterans’ Home. The roof is the original one for the hall when it was built in 1971. The roof has been leaking water onto the walls and the floor of the fourth level of the building. The project was originally approved at a smaller dollar amount, but additional water damage was found within Dewey Hall’s decking and in the insulation, so more funding was necessary to make the unforeseen repairs.

“Both projects are necessary,” said Klinker, who serves on the State Budget Committee. “The bathrooms in McCutcheon Hall will be larger with new fixtures, new showers, new sinks, and new toilets. It will make the spaces more ADA accessible and offer greater privacy for the students.

“The 44-year-old roof on Dewey Hall at the Veteran’s Home is in bad shape,” continued Klinker. “It is causing expensive damage every time there is a rainstorm, so replacement of the roof is a cost-effective investment. Our veterans deserve the best accommodation that we are able to provide.”