Governor Mitt Romney pledged last month to set aside $400 million in surplus dollars for public university capital improvements. That proposal must be approved by the Legislature.
Under the university system's capital plan, state funding would cover 27 percent of the projects, with the remainder coming from university operating funds and borrowed money.
According to university figures, $1.23 billion, or half of the allocation in the capital plan, is needed for deferred maintenance and repair of existing facilities. The repairs are a source of frustration for a system that also plans to add residences, classrooms, and research buildings.
The university system's five campuses are dotted with buildings built in the 1970s, many of which have never been significantly upgraded.
At UMass-Boston, the parking garage that serves as the structural foundation for campus buildings is in poor condition and needs repairs estimated at $73 million. At Amherst, $102 million is needed to repair the central heating plant.
The capital plan also calls for significant campus additions. It proposes spending $73 million for the first construction phase of an integrated science building at the Amherst campus, $78 million for student housing at the Dartmouth campus, $80 million for a NANOTech/BioTech Laboratory, and $35 million for a medical office building on the Worcester campus.
The plan proposes using $648 million in borrowed funds, $302 million in university local funds, $121 million in private and federal funding, and $612 million in state bonding. The source for the remaining $573 million, a quarter of the total, is yet to be determined.
University officials voiced support for the governor's promise to send more funds for capital additions and repairs on the five campuses. Romney has spoken out on the issue several times recently, making visits to the state campuses to make his pitch for more funding.
The capital plan marks an increased focus on the system's physical plants. From 1997 to 2005, UMass spent $1.14 billion on capital improvements, with 24 percent coming from state funds. Between 2000 and 2005, UMass spent $994 million, with 78 percent funded by UMass.
