Photo by: Cameron Lemmon

By going ahead with three planned construction projects despite economic recession, DU is saving some $5 million due to the reduced cost of materials and decreased competition for construction jobs.

The projection of 15 percent savings was made by University Architect Mark Rodgers.

The three projects under construction are the $21.4 million Katherine A. Ruffato Hall, the $9.2 million soccer stadium, fitness comple and art annex, and the $3.5 million Sié-Chéou-Kang Pavilion.

“As we continue to bring the campus forward, in terms of facilities, we’re finding that the way to answer many things is to combine programs together to leverage program size and scale to get more money than we normally would,” Rodgers said.

The majority of the money saved will remain invested in the projects because they are donor contributed and will go toward endowed faculty positions, technology and more scholarship opportunities for students.

Ruffato Hall, which will house the Morgridge College of Education, the Learning Effectiveness Program and the Disability Services Program, is scheduled to cost $21.4 million for construction.

“Ruffato Hall is a much more complex project in terms of the opportunity for project,” Rodgers said.

The soccer stadium, fitness center and art annex, on the west side of the Ritchie Center, was over the initial budget.

“There was a lot of discussion if we could afford it,” Rodgers said. “We got very competitive numbers for the projects and have a good idea of how the market works and in this case had some advantage.”

The Cherrington Sié-Chéou-Kang Pavilion, attached to Ben Cherrington Hall, will house the programs for Asian Studies and was negotiated under budget for a final price of $3.5 million.

According to Rodgers, the lower costs will allow Ruffato Hall to move forward with classroom advancements such as audio and video technology that otherwise would have been postponed.