More than $37M for campus upgrades announced

More than $37 million dollars of funds for various IU projects was approved Friday by the Indiana State Budget Committee. \nState Senator Vi Simpson,D-Ellettsville, who is a member of the committee, announced that the appropriations will include $34 million to upgrade the central heating plant, a $2.1 million improvement to utilities on the northeastern portion of the campus and a $1.8 million renovation of the Law \nSchool and Law Library.\n"Each of these upgrades are important to maintaining IU's status as an elite international institution," Simpson said in a statement. "These projects will benefit the students and faculty of the Bloomington campus for many years."\nThe renovation of the heating plant will repair and replace existing equipment in order to extend the life of the facility at least 25 years, according to a press release. The upgrades will ensure that new federal air emission regulations will be met. The statement added that funding for the Law School and Law Library will create new classrooms, areas for International Programs, admissions marketing and business offices, a teaching suite and a rare book room.