LSU Alexandria is celebrating another upcoming project.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held Wednesday for the renovation and expansion of the student center in conjunction with the school’s annual crawfish boil.  The event highlighted the two million dollar project expected to begin this summer.  Changes will include four new conference rooms, new student government offices, and other enhancements - all in an effort to continue the growth of the campus community.

“We think of ourselves as on a journey and we’re getting further and further on that journey, but we certainly have not yet arrived at what we want to be as we serve Central Louisiana,” said Interim Chancellor, Dr. Thomas Armstrong.

The student center project is expected to be completed in time for the 2009 fall semester.

*Here’s a list of other campus projects:

Louisiana State University Alexandria
Current Capital Outlay Projects
April 2008

- Multi-Purpose Academic Center
$17,450,000 State capital outlay

The “Multi-Purpose Academic Center” will add classrooms and offices to campus ¬along with a black box theater and other fine arts areas. We anticipate that this building will be bid out this coming summer - with a two year construction schedule.

- Baseball & Softball Sports Complex
$4,200,000 Revenue bond Issue (Combined with Student Center Project) $1,725,000 Revenue bond

The LSUA athletic plan called for the initiation of women’s fast pitch softball and men’s baseball intercollegiate athletic teams. Consequently the proposed project consists of the design and construction of a new baseball and softball complex for the LSU Alexandria campus. We anticipate that this project will be bid out this summer - with a one year construction schedule.

- Renovations and Additions to the Student Center
$4,200,000 Revenue bond Issue (Combined with Baseball/Softball Project) $2, 117, 180 Revenue bond

The LSUA Student Center will be renovated and expanded - adding four new conference rooms, new student government offices and other space and enhancements. We anticipate that this project will be bid out this summer - with a one year construction schedule.

- Drainage Outfall Improvements
$1,050,000 State Capital Outlay

The purpose of this project is to provide drainage outfall for both the Dean Lee Agriculture Center and the LSU-Alexandria campus. The approved capital outlay request calls for the construction of an earthen ditch from Chatlin Lake Canal extending to the developed area of Campus. The ditch would have a 30 to 40 foot top width and a depth of 6 to 8 feet. Installation of a basic network of 54”, 28”, and 36” drainage pipes into the Campus. In the future, smaller pipes will be connected and extended to this network on a project by project basis. We anticipate that this project will be bid out this summer - with a one year construction schedule.

- Boiler Replacement
$350,000 State Capital Outlay

The physical plant at LSU-Alexandria has two boilers. The older one is now running at fifty percent capacity and needs to be replaced. The newer boiler was installed in 1999 and is running at full capacity. During an inspection of the physical plant it was determined that the older of the two existing boilers has severely insufficient output to meet the needs of the campus. The approved capital outlay request will allow for the removal of the existing balanced water tube boiler and the installation of new boiler of the same specifications. We anticipate that this project will be bid out this summer ¬with a six month construction schedule.

- Water Tower
$750,000 State Capital Outlay

Approval has been received to replace the campus elevated water tank and refurbish the existing ground water tank. This project will include the demolition of the existing 50,000 gallon (100 ft high) elevated water tank and the installation of a new 250,000 gallon elevated tank (150 ft high). The project will also include the refurbishing and repair of the existing ground storage tank including replacement of the liner and leak repairs. We anticipate that this project will be bid out this summer - with a one year construction schedule.

- Evacuation Shelter
$24,920,000 State capital outlay

The state is building a very large Evacuation Shelter to the south of LSUA housing and the new AgCenter show barn. It will be operated as a Shelter by Department of Social Services and will also be used by the LSU AgCenter and LSUA, with emergency shelter operations remaining the shelter’s top priority. This building will be over 220,000 square feet and will cost $24,920,000. The occupancy capacity during emergency shelter occupancy is 3538 temporary shelter occupants, excluding operating staff. This building will be completed in August 2008.

- Business Education Site at the Business Incubator
$100,000 from LSU Board of Supervisors; $100,000 from City of Alexandria; $50,000 from the Alexandria Metropolitan Foundation

The LSUA Business Department needs a location to expand, grow its operations and its student base. To this end the City of Alexandria has offered LSUA the use of space within the Central Louisiana Business Incubator. We anticipate that this project will be bid out this summer - with a six month construction schedule.

- Allied Health Education Building
$100,000 in funding from the LSU Board of Supervisors with additional funding coming from the Rapides Medical Center and other non-LSUA sources

The LSUA Allied Health Department needs a permanent location where it can consolidate and grow its operations and its student base. To this end Rapides Regional Medical Center has offered LSUA the use of a building at no charge on a long-term basis. There will be no rental payments made by LSUA for the Allied Health space - the build-out funds from the LSU System would be in consideration for the rent-free use of this space. This building will be occupied in May 2008.

- Housing
$11,950,000 Bond issue

Construction of LSUA’s student housing was completed in August 2007. The project consists of five (5) buildings - four residential buildings and one activity center; 256 beds.

- Science Building Renovation
$3,019,000 State capital outlay

The LSUA Science Building was completed renovated. This project was completed in August 2007.

- Library
$300,000 State Capital Outlay

The entire second floor ceiling of the Library has been replaced, all new second floor lighting has been installed and much electrical improvement has occurred. Several new rooms have been added to both the first and second floor of the Library. These rooms are available, as needed, for student, faculty and staff use. This project was completed in the June 2007.

- Restaurant
$349,900 Auxiliary Fund Balance

The new campus restaurant opened in August 2007. The restaurant has 1940 square feet, with seating for sixty-eight (68) inside and thirty-two (32) outside. It has a full kitchen, walk-in cooler and freezer, TV areas and restrooms. The facility also has an office for the manager of the golf course, a small golf pro-shop area and storage space.

- Air Conditioning & Electrical
$2,229,919 for HVAC; $936,790 for electrical- State capital outlay

Two new air conditioning chillers have been installed at the campus power plant building. In addition, nine campus mechanical rooms have been upgraded and a new HVAC Control System has been installed. The major overhaul of the electrical infrastructure of the campus was also completed. This work was completed in May 2007.