New dining and housing expansions approved

Amy Poppinga

Amy Poppinga

SDSU can continue to plan its new residence hall and the dining services expansion after receiving approval from the Board of Regents on Dec. 18.

During the Committee on Budget and Finance meeting, the Board said SDSU could move forward with their residence hall and dining services plans, but funding for both projects will have to be approved at the April meeting.

“We got what we needed, which is the opportunity to plan and move forward,” said Marysz Rames, vice president of Student Affairs.

The Board approved the development of several other projects at SDSU, as well, including: the Life Safety Upgrade of the Administration Building, renovations of the Northern Plains Biostress Lab, the addition of a parking lot at the Animal Science Arena, renovations of the Binnewies Residence Hall bathrooms, a research partnership facility on the fourth floor of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Building (Harding Hall South), renovation of Larson Commons, an addition and renovation to Mathews Hall and an HVAC project at the South Dakota Art Museum.

SDSU President David Chicoine was pleased with the results.

“I applaud the Regents for doing their job in due diligent fashion,” he said. “They balanced the needs for additional housing and food services and classroom and lab developments with sensitivity towards ? the political arena and the uncertainty of the capital markets.”

Look for more information on these projects in upcoming issues of The Collegian. The first issue of the spring semester will be published Jan. 21.