Olympia Update No.
6 for the 2003 Legislative Session
April 8, 2003
From: Larry Ganders,
Assistant to the President
925 Plum St. SE - Building 4, P.O. Box 43165, Olympia, WA 98504-3165
SPOKANE ACADEMIC
CENTER AMONG
HIGHER EDUCATION PROJECTS IN TROUBLE
Higher
Education advocates are discouraged by capital construction discussions for
four-year universities this year despite an innovative bonding proposal
suggested to the Legislature by former Governors Dan Evans and Booth Gardner. It
appears the mechanism suggested by the former governors for colleges and
universities is being used by both the House and the Senate. However much of the
new funds will reportedly be earmarked for other sectors of government including
expansion of Walla Walla State Penitentiary and other priorities.
These
developments put in doubt the Spokane Academic Center, a priority building for
WSU. The building houses the first permanent library for Eastern Washington
University and WSU at the Riverpoint campus. The proposed academic focal point
for WSU Spokane, the Academic Center is a 91,000-square foot building that also
provides on-site student services, badly-needed classrooms, and academic
offices. It has been more than 12 years in the making, gone through pre-design
and design processes and now faces a critical crossroads to begin construction
year.
The
erosion in the proposed funding base for higher education construction projects
has been evident in discussions between universities and House Democratic
leadership. Initially, House Capital Budget Chair Hans Dunshee, D-Snohomish,
was suggesting that he could fund up to many more projects this biennium if the
four-year universities made the unprecedented effort to collectively agree on a
project ranking. That is, the six colleges and universities had to agree on how
to rank each of their projects on a single list for consideration by House
leaders.
At
the $353 million level, it was agreed WSU would receive $101 million in general
fund capital construction dollars. The universities accomplished the ranking
task, only to be told to go back and create a total list of projects at $325
million. Last week, Dunshee called for the project list to be lowered to $265
million – putting in jeopardy the $32.5 million capital construction
appropriation for the Spokane Riverpoint Academic Center..
Vancouver
& Prosser Proposals Also In Jeopardy.
Also in doubt is a $4.3 million request for utilities and Infrastructure at WSU
Vancouver which would share increased water, sewer, electrical and air
conditioning capacity with a co-located community college building at the Salmon
Creek campus. The proposed 65,761 square-foot Clark College classroom building
with nursing labs is expected to be funded in the capital budget. The fate is
uncertain for a $1.5 million multi-purpose building for wine research and
precision agriculture at WSU Prosser that is also ready for construction. The
Prosser building would be one of the first state-funded facilities added there
in decades.
SENATE
EXPECTED TO DISCLOSE
CAPITAL
CONSTRUCTION BUDGET THIS WEEK
The
House and the Senate have yet to make public a capital construction budget.
However, there are some reports that indicate Sen. Joe Zarelli, R-Ridgefield,
the lead on the capital budget in the Senate, could make a Senate Capital Budget
proposal public tomorrow.
In
addition to the Spokane Riverpoint Building, there are three other capital
construction projects that rank high on the university’s priority list and are
ready for construction in the upcoming biennium.
The
top priorities at the University of Washington and WSU are labeled “Johnson
and Johnson.” The UW is seeking $53 million for its “Johnson Hall”
project, while WSU is ready to proceed with construction of a $35.2 million
Johnson Hall Addition in Plant Biosciences. Both projects were funded on all
lists turned into House leaders by the collaborating six four-year institutions.
Also
on all lists for WSU is the Cleveland
Hall Education Building, which is ready for the final $11.16 million
appropriation to construct the building in the upcoming biennium.
A $10.7 million appropriation for a Pullman
Wastewater Reclamation Project has also been included on all lists submitted
to the House, raising hopes that the project will be funded even though money
was not provided by Gov. Gary Locke in his capital budget request. Rep. Mark
Schoesler, R-Ritzville, has been spearheading legislative efforts for this
project, designed to stabilize the aquifer in the Pullman-Moscow area by
recycling wastewater from the sewer plant and using it for irrigation on crops
and landscaping. The area water table has been dropping at up to 1.5 feet per
year.
Pre-Design
Projects
WSU
continues to seek design funding for a Biotechnology/Life Science Facility,
which will require a $2.5 million investment in the up coming biennium in
preparation for construction in 2005-2007. The first installments for
“pre-design” are also sought for the Biomedical Sciences Facility ($32.9
million), renovation of the Pullman Hospital building, and the Tri-Cities Bio-products
and Sciences Building. The governor proposed that design monies could also be
provided for the Tri-Cities building in the upcoming biennium, which would allow
for construction to be accelerated to the 2005-2007 biennium. The biomedical and
former hospital buildings would be eligible for construction dollars in
2007-2009.
