The LSU Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the plans for a $105 million renovation of Patrick F. Taylor Hall, including the addition of a new chemical engineering building at its meeting at LSU Shreveport on Friday.
The renovations, funded with $52.5 million raised by the “Breaking New Ground” campaign and an equal amount matched by the state, will add to the available space within the building by recapturing the space used by the atrium, adding office spaces for faculty members and 17,000 square feet of additional space for the college’s electrical engineering program.
Construction on the 37-year-old building is set to begin in November. The College of Engineering hopes to use the renovations to help facilitate the growth in enrollment in the college and the need for more modern adaptable learning space, said Richard Koubek, dean of the College of Engineering.
The board also approved plans for a brand new gymnastics building, adding about 40,000 square feet of practice space. The gymnastics building is the third in a series of athletic projects, after the tennis court’s facelift and additions to the South End Zone of Tiger Stadium.
Construction on the new building is expected to begin in August on the north of the PMAC Practice Facility and east of Carl Maddox Field House and will result in the loss of 125 resident parking spaces near the statue of Shaquille O’Neal.
The board also voted to adopt a new risk management plan, which would allow the University autonomy over insurance, rather than using coverage set by the state. Over approximately four years, the plan would save the University $4.6 million, said Daniel Layzell, vice president for finance and administration.
The board members also voted to realign the Paul M. Hebert Law Center with the LSU A&M campus, shortening the LSU System’s list from nine campuses to eight.
LSU President F. King Alexander said the realignment would allow the University to develop a stronger pre-law program, and work closer with the Law Center.
Jack Weiss, chancellor of the LSU Law Center, said the realignment would allow law students access to more resources and develop stronger interdisciplinary skills.