Facilities Reinvestment Plan Proposal

Eastern Illinois University’s strategic plan, Plan 2028, emphasizes the importance of comprehensive campus-wide facilities and capital planning under its “Create” theme. This facilities reinvestment plan aims to foster opportunities for improving university facilities and grounds. The last EIU campus Master Plan was commissioned in 2010. Over the past 15 years, EIU has experienced significant changes in its student and employee demographics, population and space utilization. However, minimal updates have been made to the campus facilities and landscape during this time. This facilities reinvestment proposal and the research conducted were created to address current needs and goals in the EIU strategic plan. EIU’s campus spans 320 acres and includes 88 buildings, totaling approximately 3.5 million gross square feet. The average building age is 56 years, with the oldest being Old Main (the Livingston C. Lord Administration Building), built in 1899, and the newest being the Renewable Energy Center, built in 2011. The Integrated Science building, currently in the planning phase, is anticipated to open in 2028. Many of the facilities were constructed during the post-war college boom of the 1960s and 1970s. As the campus continues to age, it is imperative to assess how we can remain responsible stewards of our facilities and resources to support the needs of our students and employees.