Governor announces transportation center money, funds for Morris Library addition during stop at SIUC
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Key University projects received a boost Wednesday, Nov. 12, from Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich. Speaking before a standing-room-only audience at the Student Center, Blagojevich said he is investing $2.1 million to begin design and construction of the long-discussed Transportation Education Center. He also announced he is authorizing the release of $30 million for the expansion and renovation of Morris Library. The projects are part of Blagojevich's economic development plan for Southern Illinois. To view the plan, go to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity's Web site at www.commerce.state.il.us. "We are honored Gov. Blagojevich announced the details of his economic development plan for the region here," SIUC Chancellor Walter V. Wendler said. "SIUC is also committed to helping communities with economic development. These projects are vital to our students, the region and the entire state." The Transportation Education Center will serve the University's nationally recognized undergraduate transportation programs. The complex will comprise five existing buildings, along with four new buildings at Southern Illinois Airport between Carbondale and Murphysboro. The new buildings, totaling nearly 260,000 square feet, will house the main TEC building, automotive fleet building, transport category lab and power plant test facility. The main building will include classrooms, corporate facilities and meeting rooms, a computer center, libraries, laboratories, flight simulator and more. Paul D. Sarvela, interim dean of the College of Applied Sciences and Arts, said announcement of the TEC is "a great day for the University and a great day for the people of Southern Illinois." "It brings together four outstanding transportation programs under one roof," said Sarvela. "It helps us replace an automotive technology facility which was built in the 1930s and 1940s and is badly in need of replacement." The project will cost $39 million. The three-year construction phase will generate 200 to 300 jobs. Sarvela expects ground breaking to take place in about a year. The nationally recognized transportation programs are aviation management, aviation flight, aviation technologies and automotive technology. There is also a master's program in public administration with an aviation administration. The new facilities are necessary to serve about 700 automotive and aviation degree students, provide research opportunities for faculty and to serve the transportation industry, Sarvela said. They will replace outdated facilities and laboratories, as well as crowded learning environments. The TEC also will provide adequate space for $10 million in equipment purchased by and donated to the automotive and aviation programs, Sarvela said. "Finally, these top-ranked programs are going to have a top-ranked facility," he said. Work on the project started in 1996-97 with former dean Elaine M. Vitello and her colleagues, Sarvela said. "Much credit and thanks goes to Dean Vitello. She did an awful lot of heavy lifting for this project," said Sarvela. Sarvela sees the upgraded facilities as being key in attracting more students. He predicts that 100 extra students could be enrolling in the programs in a couple of years. The college is working in partnership with the University's College of Engineering on automotive and aviation-related projects. The center also is "going to be a tremendous business magnet to the region," he said. "This is just a great day for the college and the University and the region," he said. "We are so pleased with Gov. Blagojevich's decision and all the people who helped us on this, including former state Sen. Larry Woolard." Woolard is now director for Southern Illinois economic development with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. The 50,000-square-foot library addition will be built to the north of the existing facility, and will provide support for distance learning, teleconferencing, classrooms, circulating library materials, and a 24-hour study center. The expansion and renovation represent the largest capital project in the history of the University. Library Affairs Dean David H. Carlson called the governor's announcement "an investment in both the past and future of the library, the University and the region. "It will renew the facility and history of Morris Library, which serves the campus and the region," Carlson said. "It is a commitment to the future: to the future faculty and students at SIUC who will come to Morris to learn new concepts, explore ideas and make new discoveries. It will enable the library to maintain and preserve its valuable legacy of print collections and also make new investments in electronic resources and databases." Blagojevich also announced $300,000 in funding for the new Entrepreneurship Center at the Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center.
-- Pete Rosenbery
November 19, 2003