Construction of the Business Education Complex is on schedule, though the E.J. Ourso Collge of Business has not yet met its goal of $30 million in private donations.
 
The project is currently funded as a public-private partnership established by Gov. Bobby Jindal in 2009, in which the state promised $30 million to match the University’s $30 million earned through donations, according to the College of Business’ website.
 
The College of Business currently needs $6.46 million to reach that goal. However, the University has not yet set a deadline for doing so.
 
“We want it sooner rather than later,” said Karen Deville, College of Business senior director of advancement, explaining that raising such a large amount is not easy during economically difficult times.
 
The LSU Foundation is currently bridging the gap, and the complex will open even if the goal has not been reached, Deville said.
 
Deville remains optimistic that all needs will be met thanks to generous donors.
 
“We continue to meet with donors and tell our story,” she said.
 
Meanwhile, construction of the complex is right on track. Emmett David, one of the project’s architects and director of Facility Development, said the expected completion date is December 2011.
 
“We’re on time, under money and running smoothly,” David said.
 
Working with a project budget of about $40 million, David said costs have remained below that number. He said a 10-percent margin of error has been allotted for unforeseen problems, but the margin has been around 1 percent thus far.
 
The complex will go through a transition phase of different inspections and procedures that David expects to wrap up in January 2012. He projects the College of Business’ move from Patrick F. Taylor Hall to the complex beginning in March, with students in the building by the fall 2012 semester.
 
 
 
 
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Contact Brian Sibille at [email protected]