The firm Holabird and Route has completed a design for Faraday II, a $20.4-million addition to NIU’s science facility.

The final design was submitted to NIU’s Capital Development Board last week, said Eddie Williams, NIU vice president for finance and planning.

Gov. James Thompson signed several “Build Illinois” capital funding appropriations in late July, one of which will provide funds to construct an addition to Faraday Hall, located on the east side of campus.

About $946,000 was appropriated in 1988 for the planning and designing of the new science building, Williams said.

After the board approves a design, development and construction drawings of the building will begin, he said. When the drawings are finished, bids for the project will begin.

The four-story addition will be connected to the west side of Faraday Hall by a pedestrian walkway, tunnel or atrium. The 51,000 additional square feet in Faraday II is “crucial” and “absolutely essential” to relieve overcrowding in classrooms and laboratories, NIU faculty members and students said.

Thompson also approved about $900,000 to plan an NIU College of Engineering and Engineering Technology building on campus. NIU’s current engineering facility is in Sycamore, seven miles away from the NIU campus.