Purdue plans building for
Alumni Association
By Matt Lindner
Staff
Writer
Purdue alumni will soon have a place where they
can come back to campus and gather in the form of a new $16 million
alumni and development center.
The Purdue Alumni Association and the University
Development Office will be housed in this new building, which will be
located on what is presently a gravel lot on the corner of Grant and
Wood streets next to Young Graduate House.
It will feature a gathering space for alumni on
the first floor that is designed for meetings and class reunions. In
addition to that space, the first floor will also showcase the many
achievements of Purdue alumni, such as exhibitions featuring astronaut
artifacts and a display that centers around famed pilot Amelia Earhart.
The Purdue Alumni Association's offices are located
in the basement of the Purdue Memorial Union. Larry Preo, the alumni
association's executive director, said the new building is necessary
to keep up with the ever-growing Alumni Association.
"We have been looking for many years at potential
buildings to move into, such as Greek organizations that were going
under or forced to move out of their house, because our staff is continually
growing," said Preo. "With this new building, we will be able to both
accommodate a large staff and give alumni a place where they can gather
and feel welcome."
In addition to housing the Purdue Alumni Association,
this new building will house the University Development Office, which
is responsible for raising funds for Purdue.
Carolyn Gery, associate vice president of development,
said this building will be one that both students and alumni will be
proud of, and will also allow for the development office to accomplish
more.
"This new facility will fit well into the landscape
of the University with its red brick facade and beautiful architecture,"
said Gery.
The development office is currently in four locations
spread across campus. The main offices are in Hovde Hall, the developmental
services office is in the Union, the Annual Fund Group is at the Purdue
Airport, and the Telefund staff is in Harrison Hall. The office is spread
across campus because it kept moving and there was inadequate space
for the growing staff.
"Centralizing our efforts will allow for us to
coordinate our efforts and in turn raise more money for the university,"
said Gery. "It will also create less confusion amongst the different
staffs, and facilitate better communication on the various projects
that we are working on."
Purdue will pay $12 million to help finance the
building and senior vice president for advancement Murray Blackwelder
will lead a campaign to raise the remaining $4 million needed to finance
it.
The still-unnamed facility is in the early stages
of development and is not expected to be done until fall of 2003. If
an alumnus donates over $2 million to the project, consideration will
be given to name the facility after that person.
Preo said the new facility will stimulate alumni
interest in the University and provide more of a reason for them to
return.
"We feel as though this is a 'wow' facility that
alumni will look forward to coming back and visiting," said Preo. "In
addition to being a place where alumni can gather, this will be a place
of pride where the alumni can see how much those who have been through
the University have accomplished over the years."
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