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Much like a presidential candidate must prepare for a transition to the
White House before knowing if he'll move into the Oval Office, University
planners started preparing for bond-funded construction projects well before
the Nov. 7 referendum on the state's higher-education capital needs.
In fact, planners started working with UNC General Administration officials
last spring to develop tentative timelines for the 46 projects that will be
phased in over the next seven years. Those 46 projects will get $499 million in
funding from the bonds. The bonds also will generate more than $11 million to
restore dollars to two other projects that had been put on hold.
"We've been getting ready to hit the ground running, and now that the bonds
have passed, we know the money will be available, and we're very grateful for
this endorsement by the people of North Carolina," said John "Jack" Evans, who
served as interim vice chancellor for finance and administration through Nov.
17.
The University has identified a Medical Biomolecular Research Building as
the first bond-related project to be started on campus. The 228,935 square-foot
building will be located adjacent to Taylor Hall near South Columbia Street and
Mason Farm Road. The state legislature funded construction of the building's
foundation two years ago, and that work has been completed. Remaining
construction is slated to begin in January and is expected to finish in May
2003.
Planners expect the next two projects to be ones delayed when the state
diverted dollars to Hurricane Floyd recovery efforts in the fall of 1999. Those
two projects are renovation of the House undergraduate library and phase three
of the Carolina Living and Learning Center, an outreach program in Chatham
County for autistic people. The library project should begin in February 2001
and run through September 2002. The Living and Learning Center project will run
from January 2001 to September 2002.
The library and center were not included in the University's list of $499
million in bond projects because they represent restoration of funding rather
than new funding, Evans said.
The next two projects to get under way will be renovation of Murphey Hall
and a building addition to Memorial Hall, which will also be renovated. Their
projected timelines: Murphey, June 2001 to Nov. 2002; Memorial, July 2001 to
Feb. 2003.
In selecting the order of projects, planners considered the likely timing
of the availability of money and sought the best combination of projects for
the needs on campus, Evans said. "For example, we obviously can't do all of the
classroom renovations simultaneously and stay open for classes."
Multiple funding sources
Evans noted that while bond-funded projects will make up a big chunk
of campus construction over the next several years, they won't be the only
ones. Projects funded through other means will be under way as well.
Those include a new student residence hall community on south campus and a
new building on north campus to house the Institute for the Arts and
Humanities. The residence halls are self-liquidating, because they will be
funded through bonds that will be paid off through the revenues that will be
realized. The arts and humanities institute is being funded through private
donations. Other projects will be funded through overhead receipts.
And still others will be paid for through a combination of bond money and
other sources. For example, the Medical Biomolecular Research Building, a
$64.76 million project, will get $26.72 million in bond money -- the rest will
come from self-liquidating funds and private dollars.
The University also will tap into revenue generated by "special obligation
bonds." Issued by the UNC Board of Governors, these will allow Carolina to
borrow more than $200 million for capital projects with the money to be paid
back through overhead receipts and other unrestricted funds -- except state
appropriations and tuition -- in addition to the traditional revenue streams
used in the past such as parking fees.
And in its upcoming seven-year fund-raising campaign, Carolina hopes to
triple the bond amount, and a portion of that will go to facilities. Some will
supplement bond money; some will be the sole source for building projects.
"It's important to keep in mind that we're not asking the people of the
state to provide all of the funds," Evans said. "We're trying to put together
an overall plan that uses multiple sources of funds in the most effective
way."
As for what will happen if the private-dollar side of the bond/fund-raising
equation comes up short, Evans said the campus "would work hard to keep plans
for projects within the funds that we can expect to have available."
Master plan timely
With so much construction on the way, the campus master plan
couldn't be coming together at a better time, Evans said. The blueprint is
expected to go before the University Board of Trustees for approval as early as
the panel's January meeting.
"The master plan gives us a comprehensive and integrated approach that
considers not just construction needs, but also appearance, transportation and
environmental issues," Evans said.
Evans also said that steps will be taken to make sure that faculty and
staff are kept abreast of how construction will affect their daily jobs. Among
the steps already being planned are a Facilities Planning Department web site
and Gazette update articles.
"We know we can't do all of this construction without some disruption
occurring," Evans said. "We intend to create mechanisms through which the
campus community can understand what work will occur when and where, and what
the implications will be."
Planning of all projects -- both how they will take shape physically and
what programs they will serve -- is done through the work of three campus
committees: the Facilities Planning Committee, which focuses on programs; the
Facilities Working Group, which focuses on logistics; and the Buildings and
Grounds Committee, which focuses on design and location of new buildings.
All three groups work together as needed and include representation from
the academic and administrative sides of campus, with the provost coordinating
academic/research planning.
"Each project will be planned by a combination of facilities planning
people and people who understand the purposes for which the project is being
done," Evans said.
Plans that emerge from the work of the three committees then become reality
through architects who are approved by the Board of Trustees with input from
campus planners and user groups.
First four bond projects on campus
Medical Biomolecular Research Building: Jan. 2001-May 2003
Undergraduate Library renovation: Feb. 2001-Sept. 2002
Murphey Hall renovation: June 2001-Nov. 2002
Memorial Hall addition/renovation: July 2001-Feb. 2003
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