Regents Approve Allocation of Funds for Major Repair and Renovations on USG Campuses

The University System of Georgia (USG) Board of Regents last week approved 236 projects on the System’s 35 campuses slated for repair and renovation. Funds totaling $57,493,596 were allocated for projects ranging from replacing aging roofs and upgrading fire safety systems to energy efficiency improvements such as window replacement and the installation of occupancy sensors for classroom lighting.

Each institution annually submits a request to the regents for, in USG terminology, Major Repair and Renovation (MRR) projects. For the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1, campus officials submitted 530 projects for MRR funding. All submitted projects are reviewed and evaluated by Board of Regents staff with selected projects being recommended to the board for consideration for approval in one large package each year.

“Every homeowner knows that roofs don't last forever and that you have to replace your air conditioner every 20 years or so,” said Linda Daniels, USG vice chancellor for facilities. “Imagine multiplying those types of needs by 35 institutions and hundreds of buildings, and you begin to grasp the length and complexity of the list of repairs and renovations submitted to the Board of Regents every year.” The requests for MRR needs from USG institutions for fiscal year 2010 approached $136 million, against the $60 million received in state funding, more than double the current funding level. Daniels said the final list of projects recommended to the board by USG staff is not intended to serve as a comprehensive view of total system-wide MRR needs. It is a list of projects that can be undertaken with the funding allocated for that fiscal year. Some examples from this year’s list of approved projects include:

$265,000 to replace academic building windows at Georgia Perimeter College’s Decatur Campus.
$789,000 to replace or repair multiple roofs at Macon State College.
$86,000 to replace water meters in seven buildings at Albany State University.
$100,000 to replace fire alarm systems in two buildings at Georgia Southern University.
$300,00 for the sanitary sewer replacement program at UGA.

Repair and renovation of facilities is a significant undertaking and an ongoing process. The Board of Regents owns 3,224 buildings and facilities, currently valued at more than $6.2 billion. This represents more than 25 per cent of all state of Georgia property holdings.

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