Û130m NUIG plan to create hundreds of building jobs

NUI Galway is planning to construct five new buildings on campus as part of a new multi-million euro capital development ‘masterplan’, which also includes the sale of valuable college-owned city centre properties.

The main plank of the university’s infrastructure plans between now and 2014 includes the construction of a new Engineering Building and a new Human Biology Building. The College is also planning to sell-off valuable buildings it owns in the city at Nuns’ Island.

In addition, as a sign of NUIG’s commitment to research and playing its part in the creation of a knowledge economy, three new research buildings will also be constructed within five years.

The five new buildings, which will cost in the region of €130 million, will create new space of approximately 38,000 sqm and has the potential to create hundreds of construction jobs in the city.

The major infrastructural programme will be developed by the University with the support of Galway University Foundation, the Higher Education Authority, and the Programme for Research in Third-Level Institutions.

The new infrastructure developments are contained in NUIG’s Strategic Plan 2009-2014, which will be officially launched by President Dr James Browne next Wednesday.

The plan states that the five new building projects will allow the University “to dispose of a number of premises not suitable for long-term educational use.”

The most significant of these buildings is the School of Engineering and Informatics at Nuns’ Island, which should attract considerable attention and bids from developers – it is a prime city centre site, overlooking the river and neighbouring the Poor Clare’s Convent. Even allowing for the property slump, it would fetch millions on the open market.

As well as new projects, the university has also committed to the completion of several other projects on campus that are already at construction, design or initial planning stage including a park and ride service and other projects. The University is hoping to capitalise on the downturn in the economy by securing “value for money” for the building projects.

In the areas of education in the Strategic Plan, the University has committed to doubling the output of PhD graduates every year from 100 PhD students this year, to 200 graduates per year by 2014, in order to meet the needs of the knowledge economy.

For more, read page 1 of this week's Galway City Tribune