Nearly 1,700 parking spots could replace the Michigan State Police Building on campus if a plan for a police headquarters building in Lansing is approved in upcoming months.

The State Police building, 714 S. Harrison Ave., sits on land leased from the university, and would be under MSU control once more if a seven-member administration board including Gov. John Engler and Attorney General Jennifer Granholm approves a plan for a new building on Grand River Avenue in Lansing.

Jeff Kacos, director of Campus Park and Planning, said the land was included in MSU's 2020 Vision, the university's comprehensive plan, and is projected to be a location for perimeter campus parking.

There are currently 600 parking spots on the property and an additional 1100 much-needed spaces would be added under existing plans, Kacos said. The land could also be the site of a new university building in the distant future.

But the lot is still, "just a hypothetical discussion," Kacos said. "There are lots of choices and it's something we haven't given serious thought."

The House and Senate Appropriations Committees on Capital Outlay approved the new building 12-4 on Wednesday. If supported by the state board, construction on the new headquarters in Lansing would begin in Spring and be ready by 2005, said Penny Davis, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Management and Budget.

The 490,000 square foot building would be 14 stories and house 1,000 workers from the Michigan State Police and the National Guard.

The Senate Fiscal Agency estimated the construction cost for Lansing developers Gary Granger and MSU Trustee Joel Ferguson to be $115.4 million. The land would be leased to the state at a cost of $8.67 million each year for 25 years, after which it can be purchased for $1.

Lansing Mayor David Hollister said the new building would combine scattered enforcement buildings into a "state-of-the-art homeland security facility."

"It's a win for the university, a win for the national guard and police, a win for the city and a win for the state in general," he said.

Hollister said he doesn't expect much opposition by the board on the plan.

"They will look at the plan and dot the i's and cross the t's," he said.

Granholm's spokesman, Chris DeWitt, said the governor-elect has some questions about the proposal, but he declined to elaborate on specific concerns.