OSU to open doors on four academic projects, including renovation to historic Old Central

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Campus upgrades part of OSU Master Plan 2025

(OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – July 24, 2009) – Oklahoma State University will be opening four renovated or expanded buildings for the start of the new school year, including beautifully restored and historic Old Central; it was announced at today’s OSU/A&M Board of Regents meeting in Oklahoma City.

In addition to Old Central, OSU will be opening the expanded Donald W. Reynolds School of Architecture Building, renovated Murray Hall and the expanded Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory.

 

“These are exciting signs of progress on our campus,” said OSU President Burns Hargis.  “We are in the midst of more than $850 million in building projects that are transforming our university and these four projects will greatly enhance our academic and research endeavors.”

 

The projects are part of OSU’s Master Plan 2025.  The university held groundbreaking ceremonies on the four building projects in October and November of 2007.  While some final work will remain, plans call for opening the four buildings for use the week of August 10.

Old Central, built in 1894 for a cost of less than $20,000, was the first building on campus and is the oldest higher education building in the state.  It has undergone an $8.6 million renovation that included stabilizing the foundation and extensive exterior work.  The OSU campus treasure will house the OSU Honors College. 

Thanks to a $16.3 million gift from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, OSU is doubling the size of its architecture building with the addition of two wings.  The existing, center section of the building has been renovated with a first-floor gallery and studios on the upper floors.  Total cost of the project is $21 million.

Murray Hall, which opened in 1935 as a dormitory for women, has been beautifully restored and will house six departments from the College of Arts and Sciences – Communication Sciences and Disorders, Geography, History, Philosophy, Political Science, and Sociology.  The $23 million renovation also includes the addition of a 160-seat auditorium, which will be completed later this year.

The nearly $14 million expansion and renovation of the Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory enhances OSU’s ability to provide the latest diagnostic service to veterinarians and animal owners in Oklahoma and surrounding states.  The project adds nearly 20,000 square-feet of specialized lab space.

OSU broke ground on seven high-profile academic and infrastructure buildings in 2007.  With the completion of these four projects, only the Interdisciplinary Science and Research Building remains under construction; it is slated for completion in fall 2010.  The Multimodal Transportation Terminal and North Monroe Garage opened last fall and the North Classroom Building opened in January of this year.

Workers are making significant progress on another high profile project.  The City of Stillwater’s extensive upgrade to University Avenue south of the OSU campus is being completed in phases and should be done in September.