Several construction projects to improve NIU’s campus soon might be started if the Illinois Board of Higher Education capital budget recommendations of about $25 million are approved by the state.

NIU President John LaTourette said four proposed major projects include constructing an extension of Faraday Hall, planning a new engineering building, building an addition to Founders’ Memorial Library and replacing the steam lines near the Psych-Math Building, Faraday and Montgomery Halls.

The $25 million is part of a $160.7 million recommendation adopted by the IBHE, which would fund capital improvements at Illinois public universities. This figure includes $144.3 million for regular capital projects and $16.4 million for Build Illinois repair and renovation projects, an IBHE budget report stated.

LaTourette said the university has received $943,000 for the planning of Faraday II, which will cost about $22 million to complete. Costs include $17.7 million for construction, $1.5 million for renovation and $2 million for equipment, he said.

Eddie Williams, vice president for finance and planning, said the Faraday project will add a total of 71,210 square feet of classrooms, laboratories, offices, research labs and storage space for physics and chemistry. The proposed site of the extension would be on the east side of the building, Williams said.

Williams said the construction of Faraday II would not start for about another year, and the construction should be finished within about two years.

The architectural firm which will work on the project is Holabird and Root, a Chicago-based firm, Physical Plant Project Manager Conrad Miller said. Holabird and Root is one of the largest architectural firms in the Chicago, he said.

Miller said the Illinois Capital Development Board will oversee the Faraday project. The board is a branch of Gov. James Thompson’s office which oversees all state construction, he said.

The Founders’ Memorial Library project is still in the planning stages, Williams said. He said a committee was formed to study the need for more space in the library. The committee suggested that 103,000 square feet be added to the west side of the building, Williams said. This proposed project will cost an estimated $18 million, he said.

A new College of Engineering building is also in the planning stages, Williams said. About $841,500 has been recommended by the IBHE to plan the design of the engineering building on campus, the Regents’ Chancellor’s report stated. Williams said the site of the building has not yet been decided.

LaTourette said a major renovation of the steam lines near Faraday and Montgomery Halls is needed. The 20-year-old lines leak and are eroded by water, LaTourette said. They must be replaced and upgraded to accommodate the Faraday addition, he said.

The Faraday project is the second highest capital improvement priority to the Regents.

Miller said there are other steam line projects that will be done in the next few years. He said these renovations will include digging up the current steam lines and replacing them with a system which will enclose the lines with concrete tunnels. This will cut down on maintenence costs and protect the steam pipes, Miller said.

The steam lines near Grant and Stevenson Towers will be replaced this summer, he said. This project will cost about $646,820, which was approved by the Board of Regents earlier this month, he said.

Another steam line replacement will run across Lucinda Avenue to Gilbert Hall, turn East and continue to the Art and Music buildings, Miller said. This project will cost nearly $2 million, he said.