Nearly $3.8 million has been released to complete the design of the University of Hawai'i Information Technology Center.

The center will be located on the UH-Manoa campus and eventually will service the entire UH system.

"Information technologies are at the core of higher education institutions like the University of Hawai'i," said Gov. Linda Lingle. "This project will provide our university system with a strong information technology foundation it needs to reach its full potential as a center of academic excellence and better prepare our students for the challenges of the 21st century."

Keller Hall, which was constructed in 1959, currently houses the system servers for UH's 10 statewide campuses. The computers are located on the ground floor, which puts them at risk during floods and heavy rains.

In addition, the university's computing center, phone system and data communications and video hubs are dispersed throughout the UH-Manoa campus. These facilities do not have adequate backup air-conditioning or security, and only one location has a backup generator.

The new Information Technology Center will provide the university with its first properly designed and supported facility to house all of these resources, and enable the provision of reliable information technology services to all campuses 24 hours a day, seven days a week, according to a news release from Lingle's office.

The center will also serve as the University's Emergency Situation Room, which has similar requirements to a modern information technology center, the news release said.

Other benefits of the project will include greater energy efficiency, as a result of bringing fragmented high-demand requirements for electricity and air-conditioning under one roof, and a high-quality space for faculty to develop instructional and media content to support their teaching and research.

Lingle previously released $1 million to initiate design. The total project cost is estimated to be $61 million.

Design is scheduled to be completed in September 2009. Project construction is scheduled to begin in January 2010 and be completed in July 2011.