The Board of Trustees got their first look at the campus master plan at their meeting on Oct. 22. The board received the same presentation that was shown to the campus community during an open forum in September. The Master Plan is a proposed blueprint of renovations and aesthetic goals the campus would like to achieve in the next 20 years.
“The board was excited about (the master plan) but were surprised at the cost,” said Donna Randall, Albion College president. “It is a significant investment but it’s important to remember that it is a 20 year plan.”
According to Randall, the biggest discussion about the master plan will be the dollar amount. A feasibility study is currently being conducted by the college and will be completed by the next Board of Trustees meeting in February. Randall also said that at the earliest the master plan would be voted on at the February meeting.
“I expect that (the board) will approve one project at a time,” Randall said. “Only if the cost is right will projects be approved.”
The three biggest projects outlined in the master plan are renovations of the Dow Center, the library and Kresge Gymnasium.
According to Mike Frandsen, interim vice president of finance and administration, other schools such as Hope, Kalamazoo and Alma Colleges are also in the process of developing new athletic centers, adding a bit of competition to the planning phase.
“The wellness room was a start but we’ll be approving and building in multiple phases,” Randall said. “We’ll make continual improvements on the plan as needed.”
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