Weber State gets $5M donation for building renovation, asking $30M from Legislature


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OGDEN — Weber State University is getting closer to renovating its Social Science Building thanks to a $5 million private donation, university leaders announced Monday.

The extensive remodeling project is expected to cost about $34.8 million overall, and it is ranked third on the Utah State Board of Regents' funding requests to the Utah Legislature this year. Higher education leaders are asking lawmakers to provide almost $30 million, according to WSU President Charles Wight.

Wight said the $5 million donation from John Lindquist, president of Lindquist Mortuaries and Great Western Insurance, conveys community support for the project and will encourage legislators to meet the request from the Board of Regents.

"Any time a university has very strong support from its community, it's a really good signal to our lawmakers that this is a worthwhile project and worthy of a state investment," Wight said. "We hope that the state gets behind the project to really be for the benefit of our students."

The Social Science Building opened in 1972 in the northwest corner of campus. It serves an estimated 4,000 people per day and houses all 12 departments and programs in the university's College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, according to university spokeswoman Allison Hess.

Currently, the building needs about $3.5 million to repair its heating, ventilation, air conditioning and electrical systems. The building does not meet seismic codes and lacks adequate fire suppression and detection infrastructure.

"Our water systems provide plenty of rust for students to drink. We're not Americans With Disabilities Act-compliant. The hallways are crowded. The doors open the wrong way. The classrooms are outmoded," Wight said. "Really, we need a brand new social science building, but there's enough value in the structure itself to save $55 per square foot if we do it as a renovation rather than a replacement."

The renovation plan would remove the concrete slabs that surround the building's exterior walls, improve its seismic stability and install new windows to allow for more natural light. The 13,000-square-foot porch will be enclosed to provide large lecture halls and gathering space for students. The upgraded structure will also provide better lab and technology facilities.

"The current building reflects the priorities and learning models of the past," Frank Harrold, dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, said in a prepared statement. "This generous donation will help provide a building that integrates the best knowledge of the present and projections for the future."

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Morgan Jacobsen

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