The Purdue Exponent


Monday 6/11/2001	5 day quick link 6/8 \| 6/6 \| 6/4 \| 6/1 \| 5/30

Construction to begin on Visual Performing Arts building

Luis Jiménez/Summer Reporter

MOVING GROUNDS: This is the site of the future Visual Arts and Performing Center, located at the corner of Marstellar and Wood Streets. Purdue officials expect the construction to be finished by January 2003.

By Ian Clift
Summer reporter

The bid opening for the Visual Performing Arts building, set to be completed by January of 2003, occurred Thursday at 3 p.m.

"The apparent low bid is by Christman Construction," said Tom Schmenk, director of physical facilities at Purdue. H.G. Christman Construction of South Bend, Ind., set a base bid at $23,668,000 with nine alternates.

The winning bid will be chosen at the Board of Trustee's meeting on July 6, said Schmenk.

"There are eight areas that we are looking at to possible deduct," he said, "We won't deduct them all, but we will have to pick the ones that make the most sense." Deductions, such as the shelling of the dance studio, are needed to reduce the cost of the project.

There are two phases to the intended facility, which will be located on the corner of Marsteller and Wood streets behind the Marsteller Street Garage.

The building will include classrooms, computer labs, offices and a small theater.

David Sigman, head of the department of Visual Performing arts, said the intent of the project is to house the acedemic component of the visual performing arts department.

Facilities for the 700 undergraduate majors in art and design and theater are currently divided between other buildings on campus including the Lambert Fieldhouse and the Creative Arts building.

"We're scheduled to move in May of 2003," said Sigman, who explained that the facility would include academic areas, studios and a gallery.

Current projects include utility work, said Schmenk. "We're moving utility lines out of the way. Whenever you get into utility lines there are some disruptions. We try to make sure everyone is aware of it well in advance."

Signs were posted at the Hawkins and Young Graduate Houses Tuesday and Wednesday to indicate brief power outages that would be taking place.

"We tried to do it after school was out so there wouldn't be major interruptions."

Schmenk said the first work after the bid is accepted will be to fence off the site and begin the foundation.

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