FEDERAL FUNDS SOUGHT FOR CENTER; UNIVERSITY WANTS $2 MILLION FOR TECHNOLOGY BUILDING

Southeast Missouri State University hopes to secure $2 million in federal funds to help pay for construction of a technology center.

The Missouri Legislature in its just-ended regular session appropriated $2 million for the project. School officials said they won't move ahead with any planning work until Gov. Mel Carnahan approves the spending measure.

That could happen within the next few weeks.

Even if that occurs, the state money won't be enough to build the center, the university estimates will cost $5 million.

Dr. Dale Nitzschke, Southeast's president, said Friday that the university could proceed with the project if it could secure $2 million in federal funds and raise perhaps another $1 million from private donations.

Nitzschke has traveled to Washington and discussed possible funding with U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, R-Cape Girardeau, and staffers for Missouri Sens. Christopher Bond and John Ashcroft.

"Because of the nature of the center and what it will do in terms of economic development, it might very well qualify for federal funds," said Nitzschke.

But Lloyd Smith, Emerson's chief of staff, said such funding is far from certain at this point.

If Southeast doesn't get federal aid, the school will seek additional funding from the state Legislature next year.

Nitzschke said the project remains the university's top capital improvement.

It was moved ahead of plans to renovate Academic Hall to accommodate business interests in the region, he said.

"Businesses wanted us to move rapidly on it," said Nitzschke.

The building is key to the university's efforts to develop a polytechnic institute, school officials said.

No campus site has been chosen yet for the center, which would provide training in advanced manufacturing technology.

The university wants to build a center of about 50,000 to 55,000 square feet in size.

Nitzschke hopes construction can begin next year. School officials have projected the center could be completed in 1999.

Southeast would move all of its industrial technology programs out of the aging Serena Building and into the technology center. It is envisioned the art department later would move into the Serena Building.

Built in 1906, the Serena Building is the fourth oldest building on campus. It was named for Joseph Serena, the school's eighth president.

The existing structure has been added onto over the years, but its three floors of space are inadequate for current technology needs, school officials have said.

Dr. Randy Shaw, the university's assistant provost, has said the school's industrial technology program needs to be housed in a one-story building.