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GVL / Brian B. Sevald

Trustees vote to pursue library project without state aid

By Chelsea Lane GVL News Editor
2/7/2010

Reacting to years of denied capital outlay requests, the Grand Valley State University Board of Trustees has officially and unanimously approved to proceed with plans for the estimated $70 million Mary Idema Pew Library and Information Commons without state aid. The project will rely solely on private and university funds.

The approval was met with applause and some standing ovations from the audience.

Requests for funding through Michigan capital outlay process, which allocates tax dollars for the construction and renovation of facilities at the state's public universities, have been consistently denied by the state, forcing the library project into stalemate.

Original plans called for $40 million in state aid with a $30 million match by the university. With Friday's decision, GVSU has elected to take on full funding responsibility for the project.

"This is an outstanding project that will greatly enhance our mission to create the graduate who will be able to thrive in today's economy," said GVSU President Thomas J. Haas.

Haas also noted the construction plans will have "no direct impact on an increase in tuition."

The approved plan calls for a five-floor, 140,000-square-foot building, which will hold 150,000 books on its shelves and 600,000 more available through a storage ordering system.

The library will also have 1,500 seats, multiple reading and collection rooms, a "genius bar," café, art display and poetry reading area, designated study spaces, an outdoor terrace and green roof technology. In addition, the facility will meet the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Platinum specifications, the highest possible standards of their rating system.

The chosen construction site for the library sits at the intersection of West Campus and Campus drives.

Assistant Vice President for Facilities Planning James Moyer, who presented the plan to the Board of Trustees, said the area was chosen to create a "lively location" where students can gather. Moyer added while the library will hold a prominent location on campus, he believes it will not disrupt existing student foot traffic routes as students walk to and from class.

"We have a flow of students that we don't want to interrupt and we want to maintain," he said.

The project's cost will also include renovation of the existing Zumberge Library, which will be used for new purposes once the Library and Information Commons is completed. The building is currently scheduled to open sometime in spring of 2013.

The board has discussed and voted on the project during the past seven years.

In addition to the approval of the new library, the board also heard reports from the Housing and Enrollment departments.

The board members approved a proposed housing and dining budget of $43.8 million for the 2010-11 academic year, along with a 2 percent increase in room and board rates. Currently 4,907 students live on campus and 4,591 students purchased meal plans for the winter 2010 semester.

Director of Housing and Health Services Andy Beachnau said the most common reasons students moved off campus after the fall semester were commuting, choosing to live at home or an off-campus facility and for financial reasons.

Vice Provost and Dean of Academic Services and Information Technology Lynn Blue said enrollment for the winter 2010 semester rose 2.7 percent from last year and the trend of more individuals enrolling as full-time students increased as well. Currently, about 77 percent of GVSU students are full time. Blue added minority enrollment makes up 12 percent of the university's total head count.

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