Butler University Plans $100M Science Complex For Campus

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Butler University is planning a $100 million upgrade and expansion of its science facilities that will become the school's largest-single investment to date.

The private Indianapolis college announced Thursday that its trustees approved the three-phase project last week.

The Indianapolis Business Journal reports the school says the project will create 96,000-square-feet of space for a science complex featuring "high-tech classrooms, modern research labs, and collaborative working spaces."

Construction on the first two phases is expected to be completed within about 18 months.

Butler's science program enrollment has increased 70 percent over the past decade, causing the science department to outgrow its space.

Administrators hope to raise at least $42 million for the project through philanthropy, and have already secured $27.5 million in donations. A bond issue will fund the remainder.