GOVERNOR SIGNS BEST CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION BUDGET IN WSU`S HISTORY A $137.5 million biennial capital construction budget for Washington State University, the largest in the history of the university, was signed into law today by Gov. Gary Locke. Locke signed Substitute House Bill 1165, the state`s capital budget for the 1999-2001 biennium which begins July 1. There were no vetoes to the legislative-passed bill affecting WSU. The $137.5 million capital budget compares with the previous record of $121 million for WSU in 1993-95 and $90.25 million for this current biennium. The budget signed by Locke was very similar to the one he recommended to the Legislature Dec. 15.
BRANCH CAMPUS SUPPORT HELPS PULLMAN CAMPUS BUDGET While construction of new buildings at Vancouver and Spokane campuses helped boost the system number, the Pullman campus alone received $72.7 million in the capital budget. That is the third highest appropriation for the Pullman campus in history. The three biggest construction budgets for Pullman have all come in the 1990s while branch campus construction was in full swing, compared to appropriations of less than $40 million for the Pullman campus during the 1980s (WSU`s total capital budget in 1987-89 was $35 million). The record capital budget apparently reflects a priority that legislators are giving to higher education. Particularly significant in this effort have been legislators from branch campus communities. Efforts to write the capital budget in the Senate were led this session by Sen. Al Bauer, D-Vancouver, and Senate Ways and Means Chair Valoria Loveland, D-Pasco. Sen. Lisa Brown, D-Spokane, is vice chair of the Ways and Means Committee. On the House side, Rep. Shirley Hankins, R-Richland, was a member of the House Capital Budget Committee and Democratic Speaker Pro Tempore Val Ogden, D-Vancouver, continued to play a key role as she has for many years. Rep. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, who represents the Pullman campus is also a member of the capital committee which is chaired by Rep. Maryann Mitchell, R-Federal Way, and Rep. Ed Murray, a Seattle Democrat whose constituencies include many of the faculty and students of the University of Washington.
CONSTRUCTION BEGINS IN JUNE ON THE TEACHING AND LEARNING CENTER IN PULLMAN. Located near Stadium Way in the heart of the Pullman campus, the Teaching and Learning Center is an innovative classroom building that will provide 1,300 classroom seats and a 2,200 FTE capacity.
CONSTRUCTION BEGINS IN NOVEMBER ON THE SPOKANE HEALTH SCIENCES BUILDING AT RIVERPOINT. Perhaps the most controversial of the WSU capital construction budget was the proposed Spokane Health Sciences Building. Long on the drawing boards under the former Spokane Joint Center for Higher Education, WSU was named fiscal agent for the project last year and secured the $36.3 million in the final budget this year for a revised building plan. In addition to WSU projects in the health sciences, a majority of the building will house Spokane programs for Eastern Washington University. In addition to Loveland, the governor`s budget director, Dick Thompson, played a key role in negotiating a proposed trust lands settlement to fund the proposal.
CONSTRUCTION BEGINS IN JULY ON A NEW VANCOUVER LIFE SCIENCES/ENGINEERING BUILDING. The next classroom building for WSU Vancouver will create capacity for 620 more FTE. Funding appears sufficient to begin the project. $250,000 is also provided by both houses for pre-design for an additional Vancouver building.
CONSTRUCTION BEGINS IN DECEMBER ON AN EXPANDED CHILD CARE FACILITY IN PULLMAN This $3.1 million project will consolidate and relocate the infant care program from Commons Hall and the Child Development Laboratory from White Hall to the Child Care Facility between Rogers and Orton Halls.
CONSTRUCTION BEGINS IN FEBRUARY ON A RENOVATED "SCHOLARS HALL." Honors students will live, study and take classes at this renovated White Hall facility. The Legislature provided $5 million toward the project.
FOUR NEW BUILDINGS FOR THE PULLMAN CAMPUS ON TRACK FOR CONSTRUCTION IN 2001. This construction budget provides the second phase or "design" fund for four additional academic buildings on the Pullman campus. That means, with approval from the 2001 Legislature, construction will begin that year on a new
- Apparel Merchandising and Interior Design/Landscape Architecture ($2.78 million.)
- Shock Physics laboratory and classroom building near Webster Hall ($1.76 million design)
- An Addition and Renovation to Murrow Hall for Communications ($1.65 million design)
- An Addition for Education programs at Cleveland Hall ($1.4 million design)
PRE-DESIGN FUNDS ARE EXPECTED TO LEAD TO MORE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN 2003
- A new Museum of Art Building on the Pullman Campus ($125,000)
- Johnson Hall Addition on the Pullman Campus ($300,000)
- A new WSU Vancouver Academic Building ($250,000)
- A new WSU Spokane Academic Building ($250,000)
