May 26, 1995 - LEGISLATURE ADJOURNS AFTER APPROVING CAPITAL
BUDGET
Taking their 137-day contest into double overtime, legislators
adjourned Thursday night. But not before they sunk $65.17
million in general fund state dollars into WSU capital construction
projects, including more than $2 million above House levels for
maintenance and improvement of existing buildings. WSU's
final capital budget from the Legislature might have been considered
a longshot late last year when the governor came out with a proposal
for $46.9 million. WSU views the Legislature's funding level,
nearly 40 percent more than the level proposed by the governor,
as a good capital budget, especially under difficult circumstances.
But the pressures of Initiative 601, uncertain timber revenues,
increased prison construction and K-12 funding problems took their
toll. This Legislature-improved capital budget for the 1995-97
biennium is about 27 percent smaller than the current (1993-95)
state general fund capital construction spending level for
WSU. Here are the highlights of the final negotiated capital
budget, which was slightly more WSU funding than either the original
House or Senate budgets. The bill awaits the governor's
signature.
- Engineering Teaching and Research Laboratory, $17.14 million
for construction. A multi-story building with 58,540 net
square feet replacing three "shop" buildings west of
Dana Hall that are being demolished.
- Animal Science Laboratory Building, $6.587 million for
construction. A two-story 11,470 net square foot building
to be located east of Clark Hall and north of the existing experimental
animal laboratory.
- Bohler Gymnasium Addition, $9.36 million for construction.
Coupled with a renovation project which Legislature recommended
$1.68 million in design funding, this 27,940 net square foot addition
will provide the critical space for WSU to achieve gender equity
goals related to women's locker and training rooms, expand
athletic medicine and equipment facilities, provide for a physical
development facility (including weight rooms,) upgrade a 66-year
old facility to meet modern standards, and provide handicap access
to all floors.
- Kimbrough Hall Addition and Remodeling, $1.2 million design
funds. Not recommended in the original Senate capital budget,
a decision that could have delayed the project to 1999. A 27,805
net square foot addition and renovation that will provide a 100-seat
telecommunications classroom in the core of campus and
a writing laboratory. Kimbrough houses the WSU School of Music,
and this project will provide critical studios, rehearsal and
practice rooms.
- Wheat Research Center, $4 million for construction. A
sophisticated 30,000-square foot greenhouse and growth chamber
complex recommended by the Washington Wheat Commission to address
the critical research issues so important to the state's
agricultural economy. The final capital budget allows $3 million
in federal or private funds to match the project. The wheat commission
pledged $1 million to complete the $8 million project.
- WSU Vancouver Early Childhood Education Facility, $9.066
million for construction. Not recommended by the governor,
the Legislature provided funding for a 103,380-square-foot building
with classrooms, teaching laboratories, and day care facilities,
plus infrastructure and predesign for the Vancouver campus.
- WSU Tri-Cities Consolidated Information Center, $9.709
million for construction. Not recommended by the governor,
the Legislature provided funding for a 70,000 square-foot project
housing the merged Hanford Technical Library and the WSU Tri-Cities
collection. Authority is also provided in the capital budget
to borrow $7.5 million, which would be repaid by the federal government,
to complete the $17 million project.
- Riverpoint Building. $3.3 million to the Joint Center
for Higher Education, including for design of a new building that
will eventually house WSU Spokane.
- Communication Infrastructure Renewal, $4.15 million for
construction. Funds to implement a new WSU network for voice,
video and data systems.
- Expansion of Instructional Telecommunications to Wenatchee,
Yakima and Spokane. Provides $1.5 million for interactive
microwave channel capacity to teach additional classes in nursing.
- Cascades Volcano Observatory. Authority to borrow
$8.6 million from the state to construct a facility leased to
the federal general services administration to house laboratories
and offices at WSU Vancouver.
- Chemical Waste Collection Sites, $2.5 million for construction
in Pullman and state-wide. To correct problems that have resulted
in WSU being cited for several violations by the Environmental
Protection Agency on removal of wastes. Sites outside Pullman
include Tri-Cities, Prosser, Puyallup, Wenatchee, and others.
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