University Housing Expansion Slows Down After High Bids

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Indiana University has hit the pause button on a plan to add beds and dining space after bids were higher than anticipated.

A school vice president, Tom Morrison, says the new completion date is fall 2021, not 2020. He tells The Herald-Times that a bid for the housing portion of the project came in at $64 million in February, a few months after an earlier round with low bids of $72 million.

There's been no bidding yet on the dining hall portion of the project. Indiana University trustees approved the project a year ago.

Provost Lauren Robel says students are turned away from campus housing each year because of tight supply. There are about 12,000 beds now, although 19 percent will be unavailable in the fall during renovations.