Members of the Board of Trustees’ Building and Properties Committee decided yesterday not to recommend the construction of a building dedicated to the life sciences on the Alumni Fields until they had more information about the site and the consequences of building on it.
Coordinators of the Cornell Genomics Initiative recommended that the University construct the building on the lower portion of the Alumni Fields, in front of Corson-Mudd Hall and connected to the Biotechnology Building, according to Henrik N. Dullea ’61, vice president for University relations.
However, because of concerns about campus planning, including the various readjustments that the construction would necessitate, the committee decided not to recommend the proposal to the Board of Trustees until it had researched such issues further, Dullea said.
“No decision was made,” said Henry Doney, associate vice president for Facilities Services. “The members of the committee thought we should do some more planning work.”
Many concerns about the layout of the athletic facilities have resulted from the proposal to construct the building between Tower Road and Bartels Hall, however. Currently the Alumni Fields are used by the men’s and women’s varsity soccer teams, the women’s lacrosse team and the football and sprint football teams.
According to Dullea, the committee asked Harold D. Craft ’61, vice president for administration and chief financial officer, and University Provost Biddy (Carolyn A.) Martin to create a task force to research the concerns raised at yesterday’s meeting. The committee will vote on the proposal again in December.
The plans for the life sciences building began four years ago when University officials pledged their commitment to genomics, claiming that it would be an essential science in the 21st Century.
According to Doney, the building will be funded by both gifts from donors and the State of New York.
Archived article by Stephanie Hankin