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March 28, 2008, 12:05 PM ET
Shop Talk: Money for Expansion, a Library Renovation, and More
Budget booster or buster?: Officials at Arizona’s three state universities are pressing the state for $1.4-billion to fix up the campuses and inject energy into the state’s economy, according to a story in The Arizona Republic. “Declaring that Arizona’s economy is in serious trouble and cannot diversify beyond construction in time to avoid a severe recession, university officials propose that the state commit up to about $81 million a year for 25 years to cover bond financing, including interest, for the campus upgrades,” the story says. “The universities would cover up to an additional $21 million a year.” University officials say the plan would generate 30,000 jobs and subsequent tax revenue, but some lawmakers question its feasibility, saying they are not sure where the money would come from.
Big-library expansion: The University of Toronto’s Robarts Library, the third-largest university library in North America, will get a $73-million renovation and expansion, according to The Strand. The renovation, scheduled to begin later this year, would include the improvement and addition of new study spaces, the addition of an outdoor amphitheater as a student gathering space, and the removal of concrete walls in upper floors to bring in more natural light.
Collegial collaboration: The Green Buildings Collaborative, a team of New York state agencies pooling technical expertise and money, will help the City University of New York’s Borough of Manhattan Community College improve energy efficiency in a 450,000-square-foot campus building.
More beds, less business: A revision of a student-housing plan at the University of Maryland at College Park adds more beds and replaces offices with retail, according to The Diamondback. The developer could not find tenants to occupy the offices. Open space in the original plan was also reduced.
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