Pitt committee approves millions in construction, renovation

Pitt’s Property and Facilities Committee of the Board of Trustees approved a total of $152… Pitt’s Property and Facilities Committee of the Board of Trustees approved a total of $152 million to go toward various construction and renovation projects at its meeting today.

The main project approved at the meeting was the new residence hall that will be on the corner of Fifth Avenue and University Place. The total project will cost $59 million, according to a press release from the University.

The new 10-story freshman dorm will hold 559 beds. The first floor will consist of commercial retail space and the second floor will house a Wellness Center comprised of Student Health Services and the Counseling Center. Construction for the new dorm has already begun.

The committee also approved construction for a five-story addition to Parran and Crabtree halls, which will cost $41.3 million. The money will go toward the relocation and expansion of research facilities for the Graduate School of Public Health.

Chevron Science Center will also have three renovation projects, including the creation of a $3.89 million Molecular Characterization Facility on the third and fourth floors to hold up to eight nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers, X-ray diffraction equipment, office space and mechanical support systems.

University spokesman John Fedele said the money for the projects came from different funds from the capital budget and from reserved funding. None of the money came from student tuition, he said.

Fedele said the funding still has to be approved by the Budget Committee of Pitt’s Board of Trustees. A date has not yet been set for this meeting.