LOCKE PROPOSES $88.2 MILLION
CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION BUDGET FOR WSU NEXT BIENNIUM
The addition of branch campus
projects in Vancouver and Tri-Cities, and more money for renovation
of Pullman's Thompson Hall, were the major differences between
the 1997-99 WSU capital budget proposed by Gov. Locke Tuesday
and a similar capital budget request by former Gov. Mike Lowry.
Higher Education officials generally praised Locke's proposal.
Unfortunately, construction of a Health Sciences building
for the Spokane Joint Center for Higher Education has been delayed
for construction funding in the Locke budget. About $21 million
was provided by Gov. Lowry. Locke also delayed construction of
Fulmer Hall in Pullman and the Center for Agricultural Systems
Evaluation near WSU Tri-Cities. A proposed Plant Molecular Sciences
building, pushed by agricultural groups, failed to make it into
Locke's 10-year building plan. Recommendations for WSU projects
included:
- Teaching and Learning
Center - $2.6 million Design.
About $2.6 million was recommended by Locke for design of a new
79,446-gross square foot classroom building along Stadium Way
near the WSU Fine Arts Building in Pullman. Completing design
of the facility this biennium sets the stage for construction
of the $31.2 million building that will house 1,900 student FTEs
in the next four years. In addition to providing multi-media
classrooms and student computing labs, the building will feature
a Center for Teaching and Learning to assist faculty in using
new teaching methods including computer-based instruction.
- Thompson Hall Renovation
- $10.9 million Renovation. WSU's
103-year-old Thompson Hall will receive a long-delayed facelift
during the next two years if the Locke budget becomes law. Thompson
is the second-largest classroom building in Pullman and houses
Liberal Arts, Foreign Languages & Literature, and a student
computer lab. Passed over by the Legislature two years ago, it
was recommended by the state Higher Education Coordinating Board
and former Gov. Lowry. Gov. Locke, however, provided $1 million
more for this project than Lowry.
- Kimbrough Hall Renovation
and Addition - $10.4 million Addition and Renovation. Construction
dollars are recommended by Locke this biennium to make an addition
to WSU's music building built in 1965. The project will also
add major classroom space that would serve English and other general
education courses and additional space for the University's writing
lab.
- Bohler Renovation - $17 million.
WSU's last physical
barrier to maintaining opportunities for women in athletics will
be removed this biennium with renovation of 127,000 square feet
of Bohler if recommendations by Govs. Locke and Lowry are enacted.
Bohler was built in 1928 for primarily male athletes and women's
sports facilities remain grossly inadequate.
- Fulmer Hall Renovation - Not
Recommended by Gov. Locke. Completion
of a series of renovations to WSU's Chemistry building in Pullman
was delayed until at least 1999 under the Locke capital budget.
WSU's request for $13.6 million was recommended by the state Higher
Education Coordinating Board and may get a second look from the
Legislature. Pressure of the capital budget debt limit, brought
on by Initiative 601, was blamed by the Locke Administration for
the delay to a future biennia.
- Museum of Art Building - Preliminary
Design Funds Approved. Locke
provided about $125,000 to begin preliminary design on a new Museum
of Art building. It is hoped that the state's commitment to this
project adjacent to the Fine Arts building will attract some private
contributions to complete the $14 million project within the next
four to six years.
- Murrow Hall Renovation &
Addition - Preliminary Design Funds Approved. The
97-year old Murrow Hall, the home of the Edward R. Murrow School
of Communications, takes its first step toward an $11.7 million
renovation with approval of $87,900 in preliminary design monies.
The renovated building would contain multi-media lecture halls,
broadcasting, communications research labs and computer labs.
- Cleveland Hall Renovation
- Preliminary Design Funds Approved. Pre-design
funds were recommended to give WSU's education building an estimated
$9.5 million renovation in the next six years.
- Multi-media Communications
Building Approved for WSU Vancouver - $1.682 million Design.
Not recommended by Gov.
Lowry, but included in Gov. Locke's capital budget is funding
to design up to working drawings a new classroom building at WSU's
Vancouver campus. The 49,486-square foot project could begin construction
in 1999.
- Engineering/Life Sciences
Building for WSU Vancouver - $2.836 million Design.
Gov. Locke joined Gov. Lowry in giving the go-ahead for design
of an estimated $31.7 million building at WSU Vancouver that could
begin construction in 1999.
- Science Education Center for
WSU Tri-Cities - Preliminary Design Funds Approved. Not
recommended by Gov. Lowry, but included in Gov. Locke's capital
budget, are preliminary design funds for and estimated $21.6 million
building that could be constructed at WSU Tri-Cities within the
next six years.
- Center for Agricultural Systems
Evaluation (CASE) near WSU Tri-Cities - Not Recommended. An
innovative outdoor instruction lab for agriculture was not recommended
but is under consideration by the Legislature. Locke announced
last week that he would recommend the project for funding to the
1999 Legislature.
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