After three years of asking, UVSC finally has received approval for most of the funding for its digital learning center, which will likely become a hub on campus.

During the recently completed session, the state Legislature approved $46,750,000 in funding for the 180,000-square-foot library building at Utah Valley State College. Groundbreaking could be in six to eight months, and the building could be completed by spring 2009.

Although the funding was $1.25 million shy of the college's $48 million request, library director Michael Freeman said, "We feel pretty good about it."

The digital learning center will be five times the size of the current library, will almost double the number of computers from 57 to 140, and will triple the number of circulating volumes from 100,000 to about 300,000. Group study rooms will increase from four to 60.

The college will try to raise private funds for the remaining amount to avoid having to trim the facility, Freeman said.

He said he will discuss the possibility of small money-saving modifications with the architects who helped with the preliminary planning for the building.

"As you see, the more private funding we could raise, the better you can deal with these issues," Freeman said. A private donor, whose name has not been disclosed, already has agreed to give $250,000 for the project.

The building will be the largest facility added to campus since the liberal arts building was constructed in 2003, said UVSC spokesman Derek Hall, and will be located on the east side of that building.

"This building will probably extend the center of our campus a little farther north. There was a big shift with the liberal arts building because it's all classrooms and offices, so there's a lot more traffic in that part of our facility, and the library will only add to that traffic pattern," Hall said.

The 20-year campus facilities master plan, OK'd by the board of regents last fall, puts future building sites north of the two buildings.

"It does change the campus," Hall said. "The student center, food services, book store, that's a real hub on campus, and the library's also a major hub."

The college already is soliciting bids for design and construction. The next step is to choose an architect-contractor team, a process scheduled to begin on March 17 and wrap up by May 24, Hall said.

The building will cover the space currently used for parking, so plans are under way for a new parking lot.

Anna Chang-Yen can be reached at 344-2549 or annac@heraldextra.com

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page D1.