On time and within budget - that's the progress report for the new Lindberg Center for Health and Human Performance at Augustana College. Construction on the 19 million dollar academic and athletic facility began in February, and completion is expected in the spring.
Executive Vice President Kent Barnds says the college has raised nearly 12 million dollars so far, including one gift that followed the naming of the natatorium for Anne Greve Lund, class of 1926, the first director of women's athletics.
"One of the most exciting things was just after we honored Anne Greve Lund an anonymous donor 500,000 dollar donation in support of this project because that donor was so excited that we chose to honor a pioneering woman."
One of the laboratories in the Lindberg Center will be named for Aben Cooper who graduated in 1993.
"Aben Cooper was Augustana College's first black Academic All-American. He had an incredible career academically here, and after he finished at Augustana he went to Northwestern University where studied physical therapy. And while he was here he was a heck of a basketball player as well."
Cooper lives in Chicago now and works as a physical therapist and case manager.Also last month, Barnds says Augustana raised one million dollars, to win a one million dollar challenge grant offered by the Austin Knowlton Foundation. That's in addition to the lead gift it made of eight million dollars for the project.
