At Denver’s Auraria Higher Education Center, a Hole in the Ground Following Budget Shortfall

The State of Colorado has pulled $37.5-million out of a science-building project for Denver’s Auraria Higher Education Center, a multi-institution campus, leaving a big hole in the ground, according to The Rocky Mountain News. The $120-million, 181,000-square-foot project had just gotten underway.

The Auraria center desperately needs a science building. Bruce D. Benson, the new president of the University of Colorado, told the Rocky that pregnant women had been advised not to work in the current science building because of fume hazards. The University of Colorado at Denver is one of three institutions that use the Auraria center.

Stephen M. Jordan, president of Metropolitan State College of Denver, another of the three institutions, called the situation “disappointing.”

“This building is absolutely key to our ability to support where our economy is going to get the science-based manpower that we need,” Mr. Jordan told the newspaper. “Also, this has the highest number of people of color of any campus in the state who are in math, science, and engineering programs.” The third institution using the campus is the Community College of Denver.

Colorado is facing a $700-million shortfall, which could mean that other projects at colleges are endangered. —Scott Carlson