New stadium, new health care rates for Purdue

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Purdue employees will be spending more on health care next year and the Purdue softball team will have a new, $13 million dollar place to call home. These are some of the changes that came from the first Board of Trustees meeting of the school year.

The windows may be painted and the building may not look like much now. But soon, an empty building inside Purdue West will be home to a health clinic for Purdue employees.

"We call it the Center for Healthy Living because it's going to have a holistic approach to overall health. There's going to be a major emphasis on preventative care," said Vice President of Human Resources, Luis Lewin.

The clinic and 2013 health care rates were approved by the Board of Trustees Friday. Lewin said employees can expect higher premiums next year. He said this will affect nearly 9,500 employees at the West Lafayette campus and their dependents. He said those are the same people Purdue is trying to reach out to with the clinic.

"Employees can use the center as an urgent care, to have an examination, or to do some blood testing," Lewin said.

Design work on the clinic is complete and construction will begin this month. The doors are expected to open in February.

Just down the road, planning for another new facility was approved as well. A $13 million softball stadium will be built at the athletics site at McCormick Road and Cherry Lane. The plans come after a $10.3 million baseball stadium opened this summer.

Vice President of Physical Facilities Robert McMains said Title IX, which is legislation banning sexual discrimination in federally funded schools, was a factor.

"Title IX wants to make sure that the females have the same access and abilities to have access to the different things that the men have had," said McMains.

The stadium will include seating for 1,000 spectators, lights, a press box, and a parking lot. The stadium will be completely funded by the athletics department. McMains said it should be open in time for the 2015 season.