Plans are starting to develop what Dunbar’s replacement will look like

On Jan. 28, the State Board of Higher Education approved funding for a new science building to replace Dunbar Hall, according to the Forum. The project is meant to upgrade the fifty-year-old building and bring it to modern standards. 

Construction will begin in April 2020 on the new science building replacing Dunbar Hall. The project is estimated to be completed in two and a half years with a budget of $51.2 million put towards its construction. 

To pay for the building, state funding will provide $48 million, with the remaining $3.2 million coming from funding sources and appropriated funds from North Dakota State University. The construction manager overseeing the new science building is Kraus-Anderson, a construction company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

Research will be the main purpose of the new building. A majority of the equipment from Dunbar Hall will be moved into the new facility. Newer furnishings will include mostly desks, chairs and benches to fill the rooms.

Blueprints show the new building will be constructed in an L formation. This will maximize the amount of sunlight the building receives. This will also allow for a future green space between the Memorial Union and the new facility. 

“The new building will be a tremendous improvement to campus,” says Facilities Management Director Michael Ellingson. The building will also have the most current lab technology available.

The new building aims to promote and expand NDSU’s research opportunities. The project is planned to be completed sometime in late 2022. The new science building for NDSU is one of a few new projects currently planned. If students are interested in new projects or what it takes to maintain the NDSU campus, visit the NDSU Facilities Management page in the NDSU Directory.