$55 million. That's how much money MSU's Board of Trustees has voted will go toward the next phase of development for the Facility of Rare Isotope Beams at Michigan State University.
This news proceeds months of funding concerns to the nuclear-research facility. MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon says this was the best time to approve: "We have a contract that would've expired with a great price for the construction."
That, and the Department of Energy has permitted MSU to continue with construction after being asked to hold off: "The Department of Energy agreed that if for some reason in the future, the contract needed to be canceled, they would pick up the cost," which would cost the University $800,000 otherwise.
"I felt good that the Department of Energy wanted to move forward because it gives us a sense that we're on the same page about getting this project done, even though it's not being done in the same time frame we would've liked."
This next phase of construction on several parts of the building was supposed to begin early in the summer. Now that the funds are ready to go, it may begin within the next year, but a date still hasn't been set.
