UMass Board of Trustees Approves $46 Million Allocation

The Daily Collegian - 3/16/07

The University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees approved a plan Wednesday to allocate $46 million to existing and new campus projects.

According to the UMass Web site, the funding from UMass' five-year capital plan is allocated to five different projects:

• $24 million for a new building near Hasbrouck Hall. In the new building there will be a 500-seat auditorium, classrooms, and swing space. Swing space is extra rooms for offices and some classes, said UMass Director of News and Information Ed Blaguszewski.

• $10.3 million update of 35-year-old electrical, mechanical, and plumbing systems in Lederle Graduate Research Center.

• $6.7 million to move Plant, Soil, and Insect Sciences from Stockbridge, Hatch, French, and Fernald halls. Academic space in South College will also be moved due to safety concerns and to "provide adequate accommodations in other buildings," according to the Web site.

• $2.7 million to upgrade and replace electrical service in the Campus Center, in order to keep up with current building codes.

• $2.5 million to replace the electrical room in the Campus Center garage.

• $2.5 million increase in elevator and plumbing repairs to Du Bois library, raising the total amount to $5 million.

The money for these repairs and the new building come from a variety of sources. According to Ed Blaguszewski Director of News and Information, there is a pool of money set aside for various campus purposes. A large part of this money is dedicated to auxiliary building upgrades and becomes available to projects as they are moved up on the priority list.

This money comes from the five-year capital plan. Approved last August, this plan includes a $2.14 billion budget from 2007-2011. The capital plan addresses the issue of "the campus' deferred maintenance backlog and growing inventory of obsolete space" in order to "maintain UMass Amherst's standing [as] a leading public research University," said a summary of the UMass capital plan.

Because this money does not cover all of the expenses, more funding is needed. One source of this extra funding, Section 10 money, is made up of borrowed bonds to be repaid over time, said Blaguszewski.

"When you make a list of things to do … you make an estimate of the costs you need. Any updates to these projects need to be re-approved by the Board of Trustees," Blaguszewski said.