Inside INdiana Business is reporting that Butler University’s board of trustees have approved what the school calls the largest-ever investment in its future. The $100 million renovation and expansion effort will create a new sciences complex with high-tech classrooms, labs and work spaces. The project will begin with the creation of a connector building linking Gallahue Hall and the Holcomb Building. Butler expects to begin Phases I and II of the project soon, with a planned 18-month timeline.
So far, the school has raised $27.5 million for the project. Butler hopes to raise $42 million for the effort through philanthropic support.
Phase I will add about 44,000 square feet and a nearly 13,200-square-foot atrium to the complex. Phase II will involve renovating and repurposing the Holcomb Building, which currently houses the Lacy School of Business. Phase III will feature a complete renovation of Gallahue Hall, which is the home of several science departments.
Butler President Jim Danko calls the expansion “a significant and historic step forward as Butler continues to transform education for the needs of students and employers in the 21st century.” He says the project is part of the university’s goal to “attract, retain and develop the talent necessary for our community’s collective success.”
School leaders say the sciences complex will be designed in a way that can change with new discoveries and evolving educational approaches. The planning team visited companies including Eli Lilly, Roche and Corteva as well as other universities to get ideas for its labs.