With fund-raising efforts nearly complete, students can expect to see construction on historic Morrill Hall beginning soon.

“We are optimistic that we will have the fund-raising initiative wrapped up within the next 30 to 60 days,” said Jason Menke, assistant director of communications for the ISU Foundation. “We have some exciting things that we are working on and we hope we can announce the conclusion of this initiative soon.”

So far, Menke said, about $8.1 million of the proposed $9 million had been raised.

Nearly $850,000 has come from a multimillion dollar appropriation from the state Legislature to be used specifically for two general university classrooms and a seminar room. The remainder of the $8.1 million came from private donations.

According to ISU’s Morrill Hall Web site, donations have included a $100,000 pledge from the Reinhardt family to be used specifically for the future Center for Visual Learning in Textiles and Clothing gallery.

ISU alumna Barbara Raeder Palmer donated $250,000 specifically for an art museum.

Construction should begin in early February, said Kerry Dixon-Fox, architect for facilities planning and management and project manager for the renovation.

Des Moines architectural firm RDG Planning and Design has already completed the plans for the renovation, and beginning in January, contractors will be able to place their bids on the project, Dixon-Fox said.

“Completion is slated for fall semester 2006, with building occupants moving in October 2006,” Dixon-Fox said.

Since it was built in 1890, Morrill Hall has never been renovated and has been empty since 1996. Under former ISU President Martin Jischke, Morrill Hall was slated for demolition, but when ISU President Gregory Geoffroy came into office, a plan was hatched to save the building.

Once the renovation is complete, Morrill Hall will house the Christian Petersen Art Museum, the Center for Teaching Excellence and the Center for Visual Learning in Textiles and Clothing, she said.

The Christian Petersen Art Museum will house both the Christian Petersen Collection, containing more than 700 works of art, and the Art on Campus Program, which focuses on getting new works of art and education.

Petersen was the nation’s first campus artist-in-residence, coming to ISU during the Depression. While at ISU, he created more than 12 major public sculptures including “Fountain of Four Seasons” on the north side of the Memorial Union and the “Gentle Doctor” at the College of Veterinary Medicine.

The Center for Teaching Excellence is currently housed in the Laboratory of Mechanics building. The center focuses on helping faculty enhance their teaching skills. The center’s activities include regular faculty forums, seminars and workshops on new and innovative methods, individual consultations with faculty and a library full of resources on teaching and learning, among other things.

The Center for Visual Learning in Textiles and Clothing is currently housed in LeBaron Hall.

The new center will house a laboratory for conserving and restoring textiles, a high-tech classroom that has distance learning capabilities, a gallery for fiber arts and apparel exhibits, and storage for Iowa State’s textiles and clothing collections.

Most notably, Morrill Hall has been used as a chapel, library and museum. Over the years, however, Morrill Hall has been used for classrooms and laboratories for zoology, entomology and geology, and part of the basement was once used as a gymnasium.