By Tom Weber, KWMU
St. Louis, Mo. – Plans at UM-St. Louis to renovate two science buildings might require building a third structure to house displaced researchers.
UM-St. Louis will get $28.5 million in MOHELA money, the funds from the sale of some of the assets of the state's student loan agency.
The school told the state it would use the money for renovation - not new building. But campus chancellor Tom George says you can't move the scientists at Benton and Stadler Halls to office space; they need labs to continue their work.
"When you displace people from labs, which have special conditions - whether it's vented hoods or what have you - you have to put them in something comparable," George said, in an interview.
George and others are talking to state officials to see if they can, in face, use some of the MOHELA money for new construction.
"We're mainly going to be doing renovation but we do need a certain amount for swing space," George said, in an interview. "If we said we're simply going to take $28.5 million and simply build a new building and have no renovation that would be an issue.
"I think we can make a compelling case."
George also says he hopes the school can hire an architect soon to make plans for the project.
The state will spend a total of $335 million in MOHELA money; the first 40 million went out earlier this month.