TERRE HAUTE, IND – Indiana State University has awarded the contract for the renovation of the Hulman Center to Hannig Construction of Terre Haute.

Improvements include replacing outdated mechanical and electrical systems and failing exterior metal panel cladding and curtain walls. Updates to safety systems for fire suppression and key areas of the existing catwalk above the bowl area are also planned. Other limitations set to be remedied include adding a second, larger elevator.

Hannig’s base bid of $42.8 million, which includes selected alternates, was the lowest among three submitted last week. Construction is set to begin soon and is expected to take 24 months. The university will continue to hold limited activities — including men’s and women’s basketball games — during the renovation period. Heavy mechanical work will occur during the summer months.

Total cost for the project is $50 million, which includes construction costs as well as soft costs such as design. Funding consists of $37.5 million appropriated by the state and $12.5 million from university gifts, cash reserves and non-fee-replaced borrowing.

Constructed and opened in 1973, Hulman Center has long served as the university’s focal point for community engagement and one of the key drivers to stimulating activities in downtown Terre Haute. Strategically located on the campus’s southeast edge, the Hulman Center, which has 174,000 gross square feet, bridges campus life with Terre Haute’s downtown and hosts hundreds of events for citizens of all ages.

The project, which was expected to begin last summer, had to be redesigned and rebid when the low bid was $5 million higher than construction estimates.