College of Medicine East Tower to get a $20M face-lift
The facade of College of Medicine East Tower will get a much-needed update thanks to a $20 million investment from the state.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker joined UIC and local leaders April 29 at Student Center West to announce the funds.
“We are so very grateful to Gov. Pritzker and the state for this commitment to not only the College of Medicine but also to higher education institutions as a whole,” said Dr. Mark Rosenblatt, executive dean of the College of Medicine. “For the College of Medicine, this addresses an important need for our East Tower as we work to repair the facade of that building. In addition, the college continues to invest in making facility improvements across the Chicago campus to ensure our students, faculty and staff learn and work in a safe and state-of-the-art environment.”
“Right now, Illinois has over $430 million worth of active projects addressing long-delayed construction needs at our colleges and universities alone — all made possible by the Rebuild Illinois capital plan,” Pritzker said. “Smoothing sidewalks, fixing leaky pipes, repairing sewage lines and exteriors, replacing broken windows — these are the kind of upgrades that ensure students have a modern learning experience and can feel proud of the schools they attend.”
The work on the East Tower consists of repairing approximately 20,404 square feet of brick masonry, replacement of limestone masonry on windows, installation of structural steel and replacing roof membranes. The work will also address mortar joints, sealants, lateral supports and other critical issues in need of repair. Completed in 1937, the building is one of the most architecturally distinguished buildings on the historic medical campus.
“For nearly 140 years, our College of Medicine has served the people of Illinois by training the doctors and scientists that make groundbreaking health care discoveries and deliver patient-centered care to our communities,” Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs Dr. Robert Barish said. “We are proud to offer our medical students, residents and fellows access to world-class faculty and clinical care experiences, and now an improved campus experience, thanks to this generous infrastructure investment from the state.”
The funding is part of a $434 million investment in deferred maintenance projects for higher education institutions across the state encompasses 149 total deferred maintenance projects in progress across the state.
