More Building

Trustees have given the go-ahead for two building projects: a major expansion of Perkins Library, the main West Campus library that was built in three stages between 1928 and 1968, and a second building for the Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy.

The $55-million Perkins proposal is part of a three-phase plan to enlarge and redesign the library for today's information-based society by creating new and flexible spaces to meet changing needs and uses. The first phase calls for constructing a five-story addition to Perkins behind the Old Chemistry Building and to the east of the 1968 expansion of the library.

The new Sanford Institute building will be located behind the current structure at the corner of Science Drive and Towerview Road. The existing courtyard will separate the two buildings. Currently, the Sanford Institute is at full capacity and leases about 7,500 square feet off campus. The new $12-million, two-story building will nearly double the current usable square footage and will include office space, classrooms, videoconferencing rooms, and computer areas.