Regents get first look at $330 million construction wish list

A $330.9 million capital construction wish list capped by a $75 million science and engineering complex for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas was presented Friday.

UNLV President Carol Harter told University and Community College Board of Regents that the campus would come up with $25 million for the complex. She said the project is vital if Nevada is to serve desperate shortages in science and engineering professions in Southern Nevada. Existing facilities on the campus are about a tenth the size a first-class engineering school needs, she said.

The next biggest building on the list is a new $66 million library at the University of Nevada, Reno, but President Joe Crowley said UNR would raise $44 million of that total. He pointed out the project was requested two years ago but not funded and that the need for a larger and better library is becoming critical.

Altogether, campus officials promised to raise $99.4 million of the construction total in donations, federal funds and grants, leaving the state with a $231.5 million bill.

Despite repeated statements to the 1999 Legislature that the proposed Henderson State College wouldn't take money from other institution budgets, the four-year state college is on the capital improvement projects list for more than $63 million. That includes a $36 million classroom and student services building - $26 million of that from state coffers - and a $27.5 million library, including$17.5 million from the state.

For the past few sessions, the total construction budget for higher education has averaged about $100 million.

Acting Chancellor Tom Anderes told the board his office has put completion of the Redfield Campus near Galena High School in South Reno at the top of its priorities. Redfield will be a shared facility among the school district, Truckee Meadows Community College and UNR. The cost of finishing the job is $11.9 million.

Western Nevada Community College made the tentative list at number six with its $5.9 million Fallon campus classroom building. WNCC made the list again at number 10 with a $3.1 million high-tech center proposal.

The capital improvement projects will be debated by the Board of Regents along with the budget proposals for the various campuses at the May 9 meeting.