Capital budget cut to $57.7 million
In its July 13 budget actions, the trustees executive committee approved a pared-back capital budget of $57.7 million — an amount significantly smaller than the annual average of $157 million in capital expenditures over the past five years.
Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg, in a prepared release, stated, “That not only is a big drop for Pitt, but is a reduction that will be felt throughout the local construction industry,” attributing the smaller capital budget to cuts in state funding.
The bulk of the capital budget — $44.2 million — is being invested in education and general (E&G) construction, with $13.48 million in non-E&G construction rounding out this year’s capital budget.
The largest line item in the FY13 capital budget is $22 million for the first phase of Clapp/Langley/Crawford renovation, $21 million of which is being paid for with commonwealth funding.
The board budgeted $2.63 million for instructional laboratories on the third floor of the Chevron Science Center; $1.96 million for the Pitt-Johnstown Nursing/Health Sciences Building, and $1.9 million for UPJ’s Krebs Hall renovation project.
The E&G construction budget also includes $8.47 million for preservation, upgrades and utility infrastructure projects; $2.4 million for programmatic renovations (excluding Health Sciences); $1.14 million for information technology upgrades; $1.05 million for regional preservation/programmatic projects; $1 million for classroom renovations; $905,000 for general campus security upgrades, and $750,000 for the Schools of the Health Sciences.
Budgeted for non-E&G construction projects was $4.87 million for the Senior Vice Chancellor, Health Sciences; $3.74 million for the Fifth Avenue Freshman Housing Wellness Center; $1.93 million for the University Book Center renovation; $1.87 million for housing renovations and preservation; $546,950 for other Pittsburgh campus auxiliary enterprises, and $526,000 for regional campus auxiliary/non-auxiliary projects.
—Kimberly K. Barlow
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