$53 million for OSU construction

If it passes the legislature, Oregon State University looks to be the beneficiary of $53 million of construction funding during the next biennium.

Governor John Kizhaber proposed yesterday $242 million in capital construction for the Oregon University System. The proposed state repaid bonds would match $390 million in bonds paid for by the university system.

The money going to OSU would include $32.5 million for a new $65 million classroom building, $16 million to expand OSU-Cascades Campus in Bend to a four-year university and an additional $20 million to match the $20 million already pledged to build a new chemical, biological and environmental engineering building.

The proposal also includes $30 million for deferred maintenance for the Oregon University System. This money will be divided between the state’s seven public schools and will go to fix leaky roofs and make accessibility upgrades.

“We are very happy about it. It invests in essential classroom space,” said Steve Clark, vice president of university relations and marketing. “It shows the governor’s commitment to expanding OSU-Cascades to a four-year university.”

Clark said the matching funding provided by the state showed how cooperation between the state, individuals and the OSU Foundation works.

According to a press release from the governor’s office, this is part of a broader project of a planned investment of $1 billion in infrastructure throughout the state.

“We are proposing $242 million of state-repaid bonds as part of our broader commitment to reinvest in Oregon’s core infrastructure,” Kitzhaber said in a press release. “With projects like new student housing, classrooms and workforce training centers at campuses across the state, we are putting Oregonians back to work and providing our post-secondary students the facilities they need to succeed.”

The proposal also includes classroom expansion at the University of Oregon, Southern Oregon University and Portland State University. It also included bonds for expansion and refurbishment of the Erb Memorial Union at U of O and additional student housing there.

The Oregon legislature, which began its 2013 session Monday, will be left to decide on the proposed bonds.

Don Iler, editor-in-chief
On Twitter: @doniler
editor@dailybarometer.com