Introduction and Background
Eastern Illinois University’s strategic plan, Plan 2028, emphasizes the importance of comprehensive campus-wide facilities and capital planning under its "Create" theme. This facilities reinvestment plan aims to foster opportunities for improving university facilities and grounds. The last EIU campus Master Plan was commissioned in 2010. Over the past 15 years, EIU has experienced significant changes in its student and employee demographics, population and space utilization. However, minimal updates have been made to the campus facilities and landscape during this time. This facilities reinvestment proposal and the research conducted were created to address current needs and goals in the EIU strategic plan.
EIU’s campus spans 320 acres and includes 88 buildings, totaling approximately 3.5 million gross square feet. The average building age is 56 years, with the oldest being Old Main (the Livingston C. Lord Administration Building), built in 1899, and the newest being the Renewable Energy Center, built in 2011. The Integrated Science building, currently in the planning phase, is anticipated to open 2028.
Many of the facilities were constructed during the post war college boom of the 1960s and 1970s. As the campus continues to age, it is imperative to assess how we can remain responsible stewards of our facilities and resources to support the needs of our students and employees.
Committee Members
- Matthew Bierman
- Mark Bonnstetter
- Jill Bowers
- Tony Craven
- Sarah Daugherty
- D.J. Fox
- Ryan Gibson
- Michael Gillespie
- Brian Gough
- Aaron Kemper
- Steven Scher
- Justin Tierney
- Madison Veatch
- Eric Wahls
- Michelle Wayne
State Capital Planning
Each year, the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) requests that all public universities submit their capital funding requests. These requests are divided into two categories: major capital projects and capital renewal projects.
- Major Capital Projects These projects are typically funded only when the legislature and governor approve a new capital spending bill, which historically occurs approximately every 10 years. Previous major capital projects at EIU have included the Doudna Fine Arts Center and the upcoming Science Building.
- Capital Renewal Projects These smaller-scale projects focus on addressing critical deferred maintenance needs and are funded sporadically, depending on the state’s available resources.
Based on insights gained from this planning initiative, the following are recommended as EIU’s major capital requests to submit to IBHE. Each recommendation will require full programming studies to determine the complete scope and budget:
- Completely Rehabilitate the Physical Science Building: Address critical deferred maintenance, reconfigure space to accommodate changes related to relocation of departments to the Integrated Science building, and modernize the building to meet current instructional and research needs.
- Construct a New Facility After Decommissioning the Old Steam Plant and Student Services Building: The old steam plant has underground utilities that must remain protected. Any new structure must account for these utilities in its design and construction.
- Rehabilitate an Academic Classroom Building: The specific building will be determined based on the results of the space utilization study, which will identify opportunities to reduce EIU’s overall campus footprint.
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Facilities Reinvestment Plan Proposal
Matt Bierman, Mark Bonsnstetter, Jill Bowers, Tony Craven, Sarah W. Daugherty, D. J. Fox, Ryan Gibson, Michael Gillespie, Brian Gough, Aaron Kemper, Steve Scher, Justin Tierney, Madison Veatch, Eric Wahls, and Michelle Wayne
Eastern Illinois University’s strategic plan, Plan 2028, emphasizes the importance of comprehensive campus-wide facilities and capital planning under its “Create” theme. This facilities reinvestment plan aims to foster opportunities for improving university facilities and grounds. The last EIU campus Master Plan was commissioned in 2010. Over the past 15 years, EIU has experienced significant changes in its student and employee demographics, population and space utilization. However, minimal updates have been made to the campus facilities and landscape during this time. This facilities reinvestment proposal and the research conducted were created to address current needs and goals in the EIU strategic plan.
EIU’s campus spans 320 acres and includes 88 buildings, totaling approximately 3.5 million gross square feet. The average building age is 56 years, with the oldest being Old Main (the Livingston C. Lord Administration Building), built in 1899, and the newest being the Renewable Energy Center, built in 2011. The Integrated Science building, currently in the planning phase, is anticipated to open in 2028.
Many of the facilities were constructed during the post-war college boom of the 1960s and 1970s. As the campus continues to age, it is imperative to assess how we can remain responsible stewards of our facilities and resources to support the needs of our students and employees.
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Phased Recommendations
Facilities Reinvestment Committee
Based on the data collected, the Steering Committee compiled a series of recommendations. These recommendations are presented organized into a phased timeframe, based on perceptions of the urgency of completion and the feasibility of the time sequence to take the actions.
