Regents Approve UA’s Capital Plans
The Arizona Board of Regents approved the UA's three-year capital improvement plan at its recent meeting in Flagstaff.
The Arizona Board of Regents approved The University of Arizona's three-year capital improvement plan at its meeting in Flagstaff, Ariz.
The UA's plan for constructing new buildings and refurbishing existing ones includes the construction of a new parking structure south of Sixth Street along Warren Avenue. The structure will provide space for between 1,000 and 1,500 vehicles, relieving parking pressures in the neighborhoods south of campus.
A dozen other projects are also being planned. Those include a new Engineering Research Building that would consolidate several engineering programs, a library in the northwest area of campus, a new home for Arizona Public Media, a replacement for the Mathematics Building and improvements to sidewalks and bike paths.
The Chemistry Building and Bear Down Gymnasium, both on the National Register of Historic Places, are due for major renovations. Expanding Bear Down also could include space for health and wellness programs, Campus Recreation, exercise physiology and nursing, labs and classroom space, along with additional gymnasium and multipurpose spaces.
The Regents also approved several UA renovation projects that will be funded by the Stimulus Plan for Economic and Education Development, or SPEED. A total of $68 million of Deferred Maintenance and Building Renewal projects were approved, and will include dozens of fire and safety improvements across the UA campus.
In other business at the Arizona Board of Regents meeting:
The regents approved the three state universities' $80.7 million operating budget for FY 2010. That request, once approved by the board, will be forwarded to Gov. Janet Napolitano and the Legislature by Oct. 1. Almost half that amount, $40.1 million, or $7.1 million specifically for the UA, is to cover the schools' enrollment growth, including goals of increasing both financial assistance and the numbers of students graduating with degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.
A total of $5.7 million is slated to cover investment in faculty salaries. "You can characterize the UA's request as a strong focus of people," said UA President Robert N. Shelton. "The core of why students choose to come to our institution all rests overwhelmingly on the faculty. Their ability makes for a great university."
The Regents approved the UA's request to sell tax-exempt bonds for the purpose of constructing a hotel and conference center at the UA's Science and Technology Park. The facility will be located at an 18-acre parcel at the west end of the park and will include a 123-room extended-stay hotel and a 7,400 square-foot conference center.
A new operating agreement for the UA College of Medicine - Phoenix in partnership with ASU was approved by the Regents. The agreement provides the operational guidelines by which the UA and ASU will collaborate to maximize delivery of medical education and research in Phoenix. The two universities have been working under guidelines established by a memorandum of understanding since 2004.
The next Arizona Board of Regents meeting takes place Dec. 4-5 in Tempe, Ariz.
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