New Biology building update:
Colorado State University’s new biology building is on budget and on time for its grand opening Aug. 17, 2017. The new addition to the science mall has a $70 million budget, and is being funded largely by student fees, with $57 million of the costs being covered by student fees, Project Manager Tracey Abel said.
The student members of the University Facility Fee Advisory Board approved a $5.75 per credit-hour increase to the University facility fee in April 2014 in order to help pay for the biology building. The rest of the building’s funding comes from donations and bonds.
Michael Antolin, chair of the biology department, said there are approximately 1,400 students majoring in biology, an increase of 13 percent from last year.
The first floor will add four new labs and a 110 student lecture hall for undergraduate use. The new building will also host a 2,000 square foot deck space and study spaces throughout the building. Study spaces on each floor will have sinks and microwaves and meeting rooms will be available for students to reserve.
“It is designed to be a destination where all students feel comfortable and want to study,” Antolin said.
Construction on the project has been running smoothly and Abel and is currently on track to reach LEED Gold certification.
“We’ve had good weather and haven’t run into any unforeseen conditions and haven’t had to make any major changes to the scope,” Abel said.
The construction has remained mostly onsite with few campus closures. The only remaining closure is is the quad between the anatomy/biology building, microbiology and Yates blocking the traditional path taken by students and creating more traffic through the buildings.
Drake and Shields intersection closure:
Drake and Shields Intersection will be closed for repaving this weekend from 8 p.m. on Friday Sept. 23 until 6 a.m. Monday Sept. 26. Detours will be on College Avenue and Prospect, Taft Hill, and Horsetooth roads. The closure is part of a series to improve safety and congestion in the area and has been identified as an area of top priority for improvements, according to a press release by the City of Fort Collins.
Collegian reporter Erin Krigger can be reached at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @littleekrig.
