MEDIA ADVISORY/PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: CSU Unveils Renovated 1883 Building Jan. 27 through Efforts of 170 Donors

Note to Reporters: Reporters who would like to attend or request a media tour should contact Dell Rae Moellenberg at (970) 491-6009 or DellRae.Moellenberg@colostate.edu. This event was rescheduled after weather cancelation in October.

WHAT: Colorado State University will unveil a “new” building originally built in 1883. The building was in poor shape and recently underwent a comprehensive refurbishment, including green products, thanks to donations and manual labor supplied by multiple donors and construction management firms.

WHEN and WHERE: Recognition of partners and presentation to students at 4 p.m.; public opening and tours at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 27 at the Preconstruction Center (previously the Industrial Sciences Building), located on the corner of Laurel and Rembrandt Streets. Media tours are available at 5 p.m. by RSVPing to Dell Rae Moellenberg.

DETAILS: Colorado State University will unveil a new building originally constructed in 1883. It is one of the oldest buildings on campus and recently underwent a $5 million restoration, thanks to 170 private donors. The building is part of the construction management program at the university.

The former Industrial Sciences Building, now called the Preconstruction Center, was the collective work of Colorado construction firms, industry organizations and student groups that donated funds and in-kind support to refurbish the building room by room. The renovation features state-of-the-art laboratories, classrooms, a lecture hall, study lounge, technology center and public spaces. The project maintained almost all of the original construction in order to preserve the historical significance of the building and keep the building green. The building also has become a unique learning environment, with windows into the interior walls and exposed infrastructure so that construction management students can see the inner workings of the building as they are learning building construction.

Some new additions also helped bring the building up to standards of the 21st century, such as the addition of roof insulation, which had not existed in the building before the refurbishment, low flow fixtures and automatic faucets. New carpet installed was made from recycled materials, as were new ceiling tiles.

The best information available suggests that this project is a one-of-a-kind in the nation in terms of the number of collaborating businesses supporting a construction project on a college campus. The renovation was funded by private donations, the University Facility Fee Advisory Board, the University Technology Fee Advisory Board and students in the College of Applied Human Sciences.

The building is one of the few remaining structures on campus from the Pioneer Era – 1870-1909. Formerly known as the Mechanic Shop, its name was changed in the 1890s to the Mechanical Engineering Building. In 1959, the name changed to the Arts Building, in 1969 to Arts-Industrial and in 1972 to Industrial Sciences. The foundry in the building played an important part in World War II by serving as a valuable production center during the war.
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