No new building again
USU Eastern was the only institution of higher education snubbed by the legislature in terms of buildings and/or one-time funding. Administrators hoped for the long-standing request for an art and education building to replace its music and theatre buildings that are listed as some of the state’s most dangerous in terms of how much their structures have decayed.
USU Eastern was the only institution of higher education snubbed by the legislature in terms of buildings and/or one-time funding. Administrators hoped for the long-standing request for an art and education building to replace its music and theatre buildings that are listed as some of the state’s most dangerous in terms of how much their structures have decayed.
In a combined statement by USU Eastern theatre instructors Grady McEvoy and Dr. Corey Ewan, they wrote, “It is always disheartening that we are constantly overlooked. It would be helpful if they would even give us planning funds to truly get the process started and allow us to formulate a concise plan of attack. Given where we are now, it is unlikely we will be considered until the college enrollment doubles, we find external funds to help match or at least incentivize the legislature to look our way, and we can show community support via fund raising and outcry.
“We struggle competing with other institutions because we have so little to offer in terms of money. We have a great deal to offer in terms of opportunity, quality, potential and program advancement given the merger with USU. The powers that be, apparently do not consider quality, potential or opportunity in the funding process. They will always rely on numbers and the bottom line. Our institutional numbers look like growth is happening but we are still struggling compared to others around the state. Perhaps part of our struggle is the fact that our facilities are constantly in the news about how run down and poor they are.
“Yes, these facilities need to be replaced; however the work we do is outstanding and we will continue to do what we do best. Produce theatre at the highest level possible given the resources we have. The one thing which may change this would be complete failure of the Geary Facility and according to the state experts, it is not that unlikely that we would lose the Music building and/or the Geary Theatre in a natural disaster situation. We can only hope no one is in the building.”
The legislature agreed to fund seven buildings and a land purchase in its state-funded building projects. This included a $31.6 million Davis classroom building for Weber State University in Layton. The 110,000-square-foot building will add 30 classrooms, essentially doubling Weber¹s Layton campus.
They agreed to provide $25 million for a State Hospital consolidation, $14 million for a USU Business Building Addition, $10 million for a Tooele Applied Tech college campus, $12.8 million for a Washington County Veteran¹s Nursing Home and a Utah County Nursing Home, $5 million for an Archives and DATC Warehouse and $3 million for Salt Lake Community College Herriman land purchase. This totaled $101,216 million.
Lawmakers offered bonds for several state building projects, including the U of U South Jordan Hospital which will be purchased for $66 million, U of U Healthcare Medical Service Building $25.9 million, U of U Athletic Center expansion $20 million, and U of U Ambulatory Care Complex parking $16.3 million.
>Utah Valley University can bond $40 million for a Student Wellness Building and $8 million for a parking structure. Snow College can bond $15.7 for student housing, WSU (Davis) classroom building $8.4 million, USU Athletics practice facility $7.5 million and Art Barn renovation $2.5 million, Farmington Courthouse $3.9 million,
>Division of Natural Resources¹ Lee Kay Archery Center $2.3 million and UCAT Administration and Training Building $1.2 million for a total of $228 million.
>In one-time funding, $2 million was given to USU Animal Sciences, $50,000 for USU¹s music department and $500,000 for Southern Utah¹s Shakespeare Festival.
>The legislature approved consolidating funding for the U of U¹s Health Sciences and added $2.3 million in one-time funds.
>Operating and maintenance funding was given to the U of U Business School Building, USU Agricultural Building, UVU Science/Health Science Building, Dixie State College¹s Centennial Commons and SLCC¹s Digital Design/Communications and Instructional/Administration Complex.
