Southern Illinois University awarded $10.5 million to plan health and sciences building

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The Southern Illinois University now has $10.5 million to design a health science building on the Edwardsville campus.

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker announced the funding this week.

The complex will include approximately 221,000 square feet and is expected to cost cost approximately $105 million. It would be the largest building on the SIUE campus.

“With this investment, we’re giving SIUE’s current and future students a world class education in a world class facility, and we’re providing employers with world class talent from one of our state’s greatest institutions,” Pritzker said. “The future of our state is in education. The choices that we make about our schools now will determine the quality of our future.”

SIUE operates a School of Pharmacy, a School of Nursing, a School of Dental Medicine in Alton and related health sciences programs serving central and southern Illinois.

“This new Health Science Building is an incredibly exciting step forward and will allow SIUE and the SIU System to expand its leadership in health science education in southern Illinois and beyond,” said SIUE Chancellor Randy Pembrook.

“Specifically, the additional space will facilitate more simulation training, research, and allow growth in programs within nursing, pharmacy and related health science areas. In short, it will improve the overall health of citizens throughout our area. We are extremely grateful to the governor’s office and the Illinois legislature for supporting higher education and health science education in Illinois through this project.”

There has been significant growth in health sciences enrollment and expansion in programming.

Renovations are expected for the existing SOP buildings and the surrounding proposed site in University Park, such as parking lot design and reconfiguration, and sidewalks, pathways and roadway improvements. The HSB will also include considerations for seismic loads and must achieve LEED silver.

The new facility will provide modern classrooms, teaching and research laboratories, faculty offices, administrative spaces, and student resource and study spaces.

Fourth-year pharmacy student Deja Finley, of O’Fallon, also expressed gratitude on behalf of the SOP.

“As the fastest growing university in Illinois, it is only fitting that we continue to build upon a community that fosters innovation with some of the greatest minds of our time,” she said.

“This new health sciences building means so much more than new equipment and fancier white boards. It means collaboration as a healthcare team. It means a wealth of new experiences. It means growing communication among disciplines and most of all, it means focusing on patient-centered care.”

Vice Chancellor for Administration Rich Walker said traditional SIUE design elements will be considered for the HSB design. “Red brick towers, glass curtain walls, and tan colored bands reflect the existing campus design theme,” Walker said. “We expect to begin the one-year design process as early as this summer, followed by a two-year construction schedule.”

The Illinois Capital Development Board will oversee the project’s design and construction in accordance with protocol for state-appropriated capital projects.

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