$23.6M supports lab building addition in Regina

Regina, SK – Unforeseen construction costs for a new laboratory building addition at the University of Regina are being covered with $23.6 million in funding by Saskatchewan’s provincial government.

The state-of-the-art facility, which will house more than 30 research teams including over 100 graduate students, will be an important means of attracting top researchers, teachers and students to the university.

With this addition to the laboratory building, the University of Regina will have some of the best research and teaching facilities in the country, says Pat Atkinson, advanced education and employment minister.

The funding will offset unforeseen cost increases caused by increased inflation in the construction industry, and is in addition to $36.6 million the provincial government has already provided to the project since 2002.

For the U of R to compete with the top teaching and research institutions in Canada, we must ensure that our teaching and laboratory facilities are as up-to-date as possible for our students and faculty,says jim tomkins, the university’s president and vice-chancellor.

The funding announced today will allow the university to complete the building according to the original plan. The first floor of the 150,000 sq ft building will be open at the end of May, with floors two, three and four completed and occupied in stages by the fall of 2008. According to the plan, the fifth floor will be developed in the future as needed.