Two academic buildings at the University of Michigan to receive $10.1M in upgrades

Two University of Michigan classroom buildings will receive $10.1 million in renovations this year, pending Board of Regents approval.

The school is renovating 12,500 square feet of East Hall, retrofitting offices into a research laboratory and support spaces for the psychology department's biopsychology and neuroscience efforts. The $4.6 million renovation is expected to finish in the summer of 2014.

Another project will relocate U-M's astronomy department from the Dennison Building to the third and fourth floors of West Hall. The relocation will facilitate collaboration with the school's Center for the Study of Complex Systems and physics department, already located in West Hall.

To accommodate the department, crews will renovate 21,800 square feet of West Hall. The renovation of the two floors and moving expenses are expected to cost $5.5 million. The project also is expected to be completed in the summer 2014.

Both renovations are anticipated to provide 25 jobs.

The university's eight-member governing board is expected to approve the renovations during a 3 p.m. Thursday meeting at the Michigan Union.

U-M's Department of Architecture, Engineering and Construction will design the physiology department's new space, while Quinn Evans Architects will design the astronomy department's new area.

Kellie Woodhouse covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at kelliewoodhouse@annarbor.com or 734-623-4602 and follow her on twitter.