Florida A&M University will receive $700,000 from the U.S. Department of the Interior to repair Sampson Hall, a male residence hall.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that 20 Historically Black Colleges and Universities will be the beneficiaries of $14.25 million for historic preservation grants.

The dollars are to provide assistance in the repair of historic buildings on their campuses. The department made these funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for projects that will repair and preserve campus buildings listed n the National Register of Historic Places.

“The recovery funds not only will restore historic buildings on these campuses but also will provide a boost to individuals and companies performing the repairs, college communities and related local economies,” Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said.

The National Park Service invited all HBCUs to submit grant applications for grants to repair and preserve historic buildings on their campuses. The buildings selected for this apportionment of grant funds were assessed as being the most architecturally and historically significant buildings on these HBCU campuses, and as needing essential repairs to preserve them and make them useable.

“The $700,000 in stimulus funds will assist in the rehabilitation of the George M. Sampson residence hall which is currently unoccupied,” said Joseph Bakker, associate vice president for Construction and Facilities Management. “The residence hall was constructed in 1938 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. This award from the Department of the Interior is very timely because the University is currently concluding the design documents for the full renovation of the building.”

The money will be used to improve access for disabled students; abate hazardous materials; and improve the efficiency in the building.