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NewsThursday, July 24, 2008 7:46 PM CDT
ISU trustees to decide on spending $4.5 million extra for projects
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NORMAL -- Illinois State University trustees must decide Friday whether to spend about $4.5 million extra on current projects.

ISU spokesman Jay Groves said the proposal to spend more on the soon-to-be constructed Student Fitness and Kinesiology/Recreation Center and for expansion of the campus baseball stadium shouldn’t come as a surprise to trustees.

“This is not the first time this has happened,” he said. In past projects, as required by state law, the university has sought board approval to cover extra project costs.

“Certainly we see it at construction projects locally, and all over the country: The cost of steel, and the price of energy to transport materials, is going up. That’s what we’re seeing here,” he said.

The university seeks the approval to spend an extra $4.4 million on the student recreation center, bringing the total cost to nearly $50 million. About $200,000 more for the stadium would bring that total to near $3.2 million.

Interestingly, for the first time since the board’s 1996 creation, trustees are holding the regular meeting outside of the Bone Student Center.

To celebrate the completion of the ISU Alumni Center, 1101 N. Main St., the board will convene its quarterly meeting in one of the center’s conference rooms.

At the meeting, trustees also are expected to vote on a $28.4 million proposal to renovate mechanical, electrical and plumbing system of Watterson Towers, and a $3 million proposal to renovate University High School’s Stroud Auditorium.

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Reader comments on this story - 7 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

Pontiac resident wrote on Jul 25, 2008 12:40 PM:

" So, Josh, you teach at the School of Kinesiology and are one of them sucking our tax dollars dry? "

Josh wrote on Jul 25, 2008 9:53 AM:

" Pontiac resident, you need to get a clue. Refer to my earlier post. School of Kinesiology is a fast growing major in colleges all over the country. This has nothing to with tax dollars being spent by teachers. "

Josh wrote on Jul 25, 2008 9:50 AM:

" Cats55ire, you obviously haven't been paying attention. It's more than just a rec center. The School of Kinesiology has outgrown it's current location, as more and more students are choosing it as a major. ISU is combining this department and the rec center into one building on campus. Right now, they send students over to the off-campus rec center for training; with this new facility they won't need to do that. I'm also an ISU alum who paid my own way through college by working, with no financial aid "

wewest wrote on Jul 25, 2008 8:04 AM:

" Do you know what kinesiology means.Look it up.This is not just a rec. center. "

Pontiac resident wrote on Jul 25, 2008 6:33 AM:

" Good example of Education Run Amuck! America needs more control of our tax dollars spent by teachers. Education has not done us any good with this building. nor has the tax payer been served well. "

CEF wrote on Jul 24, 2008 2:52 PM:

" Do some research! The complex is more than a rec center. "

cats55ire wrote on Jul 24, 2008 2:02 PM:

" Regarding the Student Rec. Center - don't understand why so much money is spent on this "complex" as I always thought students came to college to STUDY!!!! (I know I studied when I was an ISU student). Just another example of how SOME young people have it so "easy" . . . they just have to have something to do while in college . . . right!

Guess I'm old fashioned!!!!! And again, I WORKED part-time to pay college expenses. I realize not all students are "free loading", but I just don't see why so much money is spend on "extras". I'm in the minority in my thinking, I realize that. I just needed to vent. "

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