Lydig Construction Inc., of Spokane, could begin work as soon as July on a $50 million project on the Washington State University campus in Pullman.


Lydig already is looking for qualified subcontractors to bid for work on the project, a $50 million Washington State University biotechnology and life sciences building, which the Washington Legislature is expected to fund, possibly this week.


The four-story, 130,000-square-foot building is to be constructed on the north side of the WSU campus in Pullman.


Lydig says it has issued a notice for interested subcontractors to pre-qualify to bid on concrete, masonry, and stonework; structural steel; roofing and sheet metal; glazing systems; metal stud framing and drywall; laboratory casework and equipment; and mechanical and electrical work.


The building, which was designed by LMN Architects, of Seattle, will have a mix of research laboratories, faculty offices, and administrative offices, says Eric Olson, a project manager with Lydig.


He says its a complex construction project with intricate designs for mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems.


The pre-qualifying process for subcontractors is being timed to coincide with anticipated approval of the funding.


Dean Clark, a project manager for LMN Architects, says funding is included in budgets being considered by the state House and Senate.


Olson adds, Its supposedly No. 1 on the governors list for WSU facility funding.


Virgil Hanson, project manager for WSU, says university officials are hopeful the project will be fully funded.


Its not a done deal, but it seems high on (the Legislatures) list and we hope it stays there, Hanson says.


Lydig and WSU officials will determine which applicants will be qualified to submit subcontractor bids based on personnel qualifications and past performance on jobs of similar size and complexity, among other considerations, Olson says. Once prospective subcontractors are determined to be qualified, bids will be accepted until late May, he says.


The first phase of the project, removal of the old tennis courts and site work for the building, was done last summer at a cost of about $2.5 million. Since then, the site has been idle pending approval of funding for the second phase, which would be construction of the building, Olson says.


If the funding is approved, it wont be available until July, and construction cant begin until then, he says.


The biotechnology and life sciences building will house the universitys School of Molecular Biosciences, the Center for Integrated Biotechnology, and the Center for Reproductive Biology.


The building is scheduled to be completed in 2008.


The biotechnology and life sciences building is the second of six buildings envisioned in a master plan for a research and education complex.


The first building constructed was a plant biosciences building that was completed in 2005.


Future buildings in the complex would house programs in agriculture, veterinary medicine, and other research disciplines.


Contact Mike McLean at (509) 344-1266 or via e-mail at mikem@spokanejournal.com.