West Virginia University will mark the progress of construction of a major new facility on its Evansdale Campus with “A Greenhouse Celebration,” set for 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 15, at the building site.

“We invite the WVU community and all of our friends and supporters to join us as we thank our partners and the generous donors who have made this dream a reality for the University and the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design,” said Rudolph Almasy, interim dean.

“The Plant and Soil Sciences Greenhouse has long been an essential component of our missions in teaching, research, and service,” Almasy said. “That WVU and the Davis College will have a new, state-of-the-art greenhouse is truly a cause for celebration.”

The event, the second in the University’s celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Morrill Act establishing land-grant institutions, will feature remarks from Almasy; Barton Baker, director of the Davis College’s Division of Plant and Soil Sciences and WVU President Jim Clements. Participants will honor donors who have provided financial support to the project: John and Joyce Allen, and Jim “Apples” McClelland.

The celebration will take place at the Greenhouse site, located on WVU’s Evansdale Campus next to Percival Hall and across the street from the South Agricultural Sciences Building.

The event is free and open to the public. Persons with disabilities may request accommodations through the WVU Office of Disability Services at 304-293-6700 or access2@mail.wvu.edu.

In June of this year, the WVU Board of Governors approved construction of the Plant and Soil Sciences Greenhouse as part of a major renovation and reimagining of WVU’s Evansdale Campus. Demolition began on the previous structure in August of this year, and construction of the new facility is expected to be completed in the Spring of 2012.

The previous greenhouse was constructed in the early 1960s and had not been renovated since. The facilities and systems were beyond their lifespan and did not meet the current or future needs of WVU’s research and academic programs. This project is a collaboration between the Davis College and the USDA Forest Service.

The existing glass greenhouse structures have been demolished, but the plastic greenhouses will remain. In preparation for the new facilities, the site’s infrastructure will be upgraded.

The new facility, designed by Paradigm Architecture of Morgantown and Birmingham, Ala., and constructed by March-Westin Co. of Morgantown, will have 28,250 square feet of space. The project is being overseen by John Sommers of WVU Facilities Management.

The head house, approximately 9,250 square feet, will include 5,950 square feet for wet and dry lab spaces, two academic classrooms, an office, and support spaces. The new glass greenhouse structures will have approximately 19,000 square feet to be shared by the Davis College and the Forest Service.

-WVU-

dw/9/12/11

CONTACT: David Welsh; Davis College
304-293-2394; dwelsh@wvu.edu

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