WSU board approves four construction projects
School’s regents wrap up their first in-person meetings since the beginning of pandemic
The Washington State University Board of Regents approved a quartet of construction and renovation projects during its regular meeting Friday in Pullman.
This was the first time the board has met in person on the Pullman campus since the coronavirus pandemic began. It also held a work session Thursday.
The infrastructure projects approved Friday include:
A new 2 million gallon water tank to provide fire protection and domestic water for the Pullman campus.
The campus previously had four water reservoirs, all built between 1948 and 1973. However, one was decommissioned in 2018, after needed repairs exceeded the cost of replacing the structure.
Since that time, the university hasn’t had any spare storage capacity. The three remaining reservoirs all stayed in operation to meet fire flow and reserve capacity requirements, and couldn’t be taken out of service temporarily to conduct repairs.
This $8 million project will pay for a new water tank on the north side of the campus. Construction is scheduled to begin in March and be completed by September 2022.
A major building renovation on the Spokane campus that will provide a permanent home for the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, including classroom and office space.
The total cost of the project is estimated at $15 million. Construction will begin immediately and be completed in the spring of 2023.
The demolition of Johnson Hall on the Pullman campus, which will pave the way for construction of a new, federally funded plant biosciences building.
Johnson Hall was originally built in 1961, and university officials say it no longer meets the needs of WSU’s top-ranked plant sciences program.
The total cost of the demolition is estimated at $8 million. The work is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2022 and be completed by the end of the year.
The renovation of the Clark Hall research labs on the Pullman campus.
The $4.9 million project will initially provide space for researchers from Johnson Hall, while the new USDA plant biosciences building is under construction. Afterward, it will provide lab and research space for various undergraduate programs.
The project is set to begin in January and be completed by the spring of 2022.
Spence may be contacted at bspence@lmtribune.com or (208) 791-9168.
