The University will need to find an estimated $1.7 billion during the next 10 years if it wants to address all of its building renovation problems, officials said Thursday.
The estimate comes from ISES Corp., a national facility engineering and management service.
ISES performed a facility condition analysis at the University between 2002 and 2003, said Jenn Rowe, communications specialist for Facilities Management.
Facilities Management officials presented the analysis at a Board of Regents committee meeting Thursday.
The assessment, which tracks where buildings will be in 10 years, will aid the University in deciding which buildings will need renovating, said Steve Spehn, associate vice president for Facilities Management.
It will also provide the University with a tool for master planning and financing, he said.
Thursday’s presentation showed the University staying on top of its immediate renovation problems and close to average in building upkeep when compared to other institutions.
ISES inspected 220 Twin Cities campus buildings and identified 5,604 projects that could use renovation in the next 10 years, Spehn said.
When assessing a building, Spehn said ISES looked at issues such as building interiors and exteriors, electrical and plumbing conditions, and handicapped accessibility.
Renovations during the next 10 years will cost $1.7 billion, the study stated.
Approximately 500 of the projects need attention in the next year, Rowe said.
Spehn said projects range from fixing a window pane to installing new ventilation systems.
He said the University has done a better job of prioritizing building renovations than other institutions have.
The University also has extended the life of existing buildings beyond what is expected by industry experts, Spehn said.
Of the 220 buildings assessed, 77 are more than 60 years old and 11 percent are more than 100 years old, he said.
“Obviously, we know we have renovation needs just based on the ages of these buildings,” Spehn said.
If the University wants to fund these projects, more state funding will be necessary, regents said Thursday.
Spehn said state funding for renovations increased from $80 million in 2000 and 2002 to the recommended $90 million in 2004.
Regents said they were pleased with the presentation and the assessment’s results.
“This shows we’re being very accountable,” Board of Regents Chairman David Metzen said. “We need to bring this to the Legislature and I bet the confidence level they have in us would go straight up in 10 minutes.”
Regents said the assessment shows the University would need $170 million in state funding for renovations each year. It currently receives $40 million per year.
“This is alarming,” Regent Frank Berman said. “This is the type of information that will prove the governor’s request is not sufficient. This clearly says to me that we have a funding problem.”
Also at Thursday’s regents meeting, Bruininks said Wisconsin reciprocity needs to be re-examined.
He said the University system loses $5 million a year due to the lower tuition Wisconsin students pay.
Wisconsin residents pay 14.4 percent less than their Minnesota counterparts at the Twin Cities campus. At Morris, Wisconsin residents pay 29.1 percent less.
“It’s a way to make this fair and equitable for these students so they are all paying the same basic price for their education,” Bruininks said.
A change would need to be negotiated between both state governments, Bruininks said.
He said he wants to have tuition reworked by fall 2005 and current students would not be affected by the change.
Wisconsin tuition would increase by up to $300 per year for three years in order to catch up to the tuition rates Minnesotans currently pay.
Bruininks said he does not think the increased tuition would deter Wisconsin residents from attending the University.