Simon Hall to open after years of construction

After more than three years of construction, Simon Hall is ready for its close-up.\nThe dedication for the recently completed multi-disciplinary science building will take place at 2 p.m. today. IU President Michael McRobbie will preside over the event and Sidney Taurel, Eli Lilly and Company chairman and CEO, will present the keynote address. A reception and public tour will follow the dedication ceremony.\nSimon Hall’s dedication ceremony will take place during a weeklong series of events celebrating the changes taking place at IU. Other events during the week include the unveiling of the cornerstone for the Hutton Honors College, McRobbie’s inauguration and the unveiling of a Herman B Wells bust that will be placed in the library.\n“Everything kind of just fortuitously came together,” said Bill Elliott, director of University ceremonies. “A number of things were going to happen very soon so the administration decided to pull them together under the name ‘Celebrate IU.’”\nThe dedication is expected to bring in between 300 and 400 people, but Elliott is preparing for up to 500 attendees. \nSimon Hall sits between Myers Hall and the Chemistry Building. It houses both the Johnson Center for Science and Entrepreneurship and the Linda and Jack Gill Center for Biomolecular Science.\nDavid Ellies, the executive director of development for the College of Arts and Sciences, said construction on Simon Hall began in the summer of 2003. Ellies said the building cost between $57 million and $58 million to build, but the end result was well worth it.\n“This is a state of the art building,” Ellies said. “It’s made up entirely of much needed lab space.”\nThe funding for Simon Hall came from both state appropriations and private donors, Ellies said. The Simon family donated $10 million for the completion of Simon Hall, according to IU’s Web site.\nThe completion of Simon Hall marks only the first of three construction phases IU is working on in the area. The second phase began Sept. 26. Elliott said the second building, which will be located north of 10th Street, will house neurosciences and earth and environmental sciences, as well as elements of the School of Medicine, the School of Public and Environmental Affairs and the School of Informatics.\n“It really does emphasize the multidisciplinary highlights of life sciences, research and collaborative sciences,” Elliott said.