Construction on a new Interdisciplinary Science Center will conclude this fall, says the associate vice president of facilities at Eastern Washington University.

“Project construction has gone really well,” says Shawn King. “Instead of trying to rush everyone in by the fall quarter, personnel won’t be all in until the beginning of calendar year 2021.”

Spokane Valley-based Lydig Construction Inc. is the general contractor on the 101,340-square-foot building. Construction on the $67 million project started in July 2018.

The new science building will be used primarily for its 28 teaching laboratories. One classroom, a 100-seat auditorium-style space, will be available for instructional use. The ISC will have five offices for personnel and will connect to the existing science building, which now is a little more than 40 years old.

University representatives will seek state request funding for massive renovations and upgrades to the old, 136,000-square-foot science building, King says. EWU is currently in the design review with Spokane-based Integrus Architecture PS, studying how to best take on the expected $48 million project.

The project is tentatively scheduled to be completed in two phases. 

“It’s one of our largest buildings on campus,” he says. “It’s in dire need of electrical, mechanical, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning upgrades.”

Elsewhere on the EWU campus, the university is currently in the design process with Spokane-based Bernardo Wills|Architects PC on an estimated $4.9 million multipurpose building that would be constructed on an open-air courtyard space between the basketball arena, Reese Court, and a building that houses the university’s aquatics center, King says.

EWU will seek state funds for the multipurpose building as well, he says.

“We’re looking at about a 10,000-square-foot building that could be used for athletics, academics, training ... possibly all of the above,” King says of what’s being called the Albers Court Renovation.

And, not long after the completion of spring football drills, EWU will replace the renowned red turf on the football field at Roos Field at a cost of $1.3 million, King says.