The MSU Board of Trustees approved several university building renovations at its meeting Friday, including a $3 million addition to the Cyclotron.

Construction to the building will begin soon and should be completed by December, according to University Engineer Bob Nestle. The new portion will be added to the existing fabrication area, where many of the materials used for the Cyclotron are created.

"It's a facility that is really in desperate need to expand in space," said Fred Poston, MSU's vice president for finance and operations, adding that the extra area will be needed if MSU acquires a top scientific project it is vying for, the Rare Isotope Accelerator.

The addition will be 13,000 square feet, which will add to the existing 6,000-square-foot fabrication area. The entire building is 120,000 square feet.

Poston said the expansion will be paid for by research facilitation and should be paid off through the next seven years.

The board also discussed a proposal to renovate and expand the MSU Clinical Center, but the trustees made no decision on the issue. Additions to the center would increase minor surgery capabilities.

In late January, medical officials announced that the proposed additions would cost about $20 million to add 30,000 square feet to the building and to renovate 15,000 square feet of the existing floor plan.

The next step, Provost Lou Anna Simon said, is to hire a consultant to begin preliminary planning.

"The support of the university for the Health Team continues to be strong," said Dr. Margaret Knapp, chief operating officer of MSU Health Team. "We're hoping that this initial proposal will be phase one of a long process."

Simon said keeping up with the medical needs of the area is a high priority for MSU, which comes amidst discussions about expanding MSU's medical school into Grand Rapids.

"The MSU Health Team will remain a vital part of the Lansing community," she said.

Officials expect the project to be completed in about three years.

"What this reflects is a commitment to higher-quality health care here," MSU President M. Peter McPherson said.

The Trustees also approved construction plans to update a classroom in the Engineering Building, to connect two existing greenhouses on campus and to replace the roof on IM Sports-Circle.

"In Michigan, a roof is a good idea," Trustee Randall Pittman said, laughing.