MSU Trustees Approve Construction of New Plant and Environmental Sciences Building

MSU’s Board of Trustees has approved the construction of a $200 million Plant and Environmental Sciences Building to enhance research in food security and climate adaptation, supported in part by a grant from the MSU Research Foundation.

Rendering of the proposed exterior for the new MSU Plant and Environmental Sciences Building.

EAST LANSING, Mich. — On Sept. 6, 2024, the Michigan State University Board of Trustees authorized the construction of a new Plant and Environmental Sciences Building. This 200,000-square-foot facility, located at the corner of Farm Lane and Wilson Road, will provide critical laboratory space for approximately 40 principal investigators and their teams, advancing MSU’s leadership in food security and climate adaptation.

“State-of-the-art spaces will accelerate climate-critical discoveries while helping MSU attract talented graduate students and retain leading researchers,” said Thomas D. Jeitschko, MSU interim provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, and MSU Research Foundation Board Member. “This investment in research excellence advances MSU’s 2030 Strategic Plan and will help position MSU for its next 150 years of leadership in agriculture and plant sciences.”

MSU is ranked among the world’s leading universities in plant sciences. Ten of MSU’s 11 members of the prestigious National Academy of Sciences focus on plant and environmental sciences, further establishing the university’s strength in these areas.

“We are grateful that the Board of Trustees has approved this high-priority investment in MSU’s current — and future — excellence in plant and environmental sciences,” said Douglas Gage, MSU’s vice president for Research and Innovation and MSU Research Foundation Board Member. “These disciplines are increasingly important in the face of challenges induced by climate change, and this addition to MSU’s research infrastructure will allow the university to build on its success.”

The MSU Research Foundation previously announced a $5 million grant to support infrastructure and research in plant science and global sustainability in January 2023. This grant complements the University’s and State of Michigan’s investment in the greenhouse complex, which is expected to help establish programming and equipment for the new Plant and Environmental Sciences Building.

“The Foundation’s ongoing investment at MSU reaches all corners of the campus,” said David Washburn, Executive Director of the MSU Research Foundation, “and the new plant sciences facility will enable new opportunities to create, learn, and bring important new innovations to bear.”

The newly approved building will break ground in fall 2024, with a project budget of $200 million and a projected completion date of December 2026.