The Board of Regents Facilities Committee discussed plans Thursday for upcoming projects in the Gateway alumni center.

A National Science Foundation grant has been awarded to the civil engineering department, University officials said.

“We are one of 11 sites that were funded,” said Catherine French, civil engineering professor.

“We have received the largest single grant for our facility and we’re very excited about that,” she said.

The grant will be used to design a Multi-Axial Subassemblage Test structured laboratory, called the George E. Brown Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation.

A report by university officials says the NEES project will allow earthquake engineering the use of model-based simulation and integrate facilities across the nation via remote computer access.

Project costs will be approximately $5.6 million.

Demolition will account for $531,300 and construction approximately $4.1 million. The remaining costs will be non-construction, according to University reports.

University officials hope to begin construction in January 2002 and finish the project in November 2002.

The Board of Regents also discussed the Peters Hall Public Art Project located on the St. Paul campus and the Walter Library Public Art Project.

Public Art on Campus coordinator Shelly Willis said the committee unanimously accepted Harrell Fletcher’s proposal costing $41,000.

– Brad Ellingson