Trustees: Construction, Capital Improvements

TRUSTEES ACT ON CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS

     COLUMBUS -- The Ohio State University Board of Trustees on 
Friday (12/6) awarded construction contracts, authorized the 
university to conduct capital improvement projects, and conducted 
other business.

Trustees award construction contracts

     The board awarded contracts worth $1.1 million to renovate  
Haskett and Hopkins halls to house photography and printmaking 
and provide additional studios and laboratories.  Haskett Hall is 
on West 19th Ave.; Hopkins is on West 17th Ave.  Funding will 
come from the state.

     The board also awarded contracts and established contingency 
funds for 33 projects totaling $10.7 million.  Funding was 
provided by the state unless otherwise noted.

     -- On the Columbus campus: upgrade mechanical system at 
Kottman Hall, $416,550; heating, ventilation and air conditioning 
controls for six campus buildings, $499,730 (state and university 
funds); replace elevator at Bricker Hall, $233,770 (state and 
university funds); install high-voltage electric service to 
Buckeye Substation and McCracken Power Plant, $295,020; renovate 
laboratories at Ramseyer Hall, $315,000 (state and university 
funds); modify heating, ventilation and air conditioning at the 
James Cancer Hospital and Research Institute, $882,000 (funding 
provided by the James Cancer Hospital); renovate the floor at 
Wiseman Hall, $67,765; replace the roof at Dulles Hall, $92,920; 
repair brick at Rhodes Hall, $150,000 (funding provided by 
University Hospitals); renovate 930 Kinnear Road, $448,300; 
renovate space and upgrade mechanical system in the Behavioral 
Science Lab and Ohio Stadium, $454,758; renovate lecture halls at 
Postle Hall, $450,000; renovate auditorium at Dreese Laboratory, 
$347,576; repair Carmack Road, $500,000; upgrade utilities at 
Watts Hall and Evans and Smith labs, $547,002 (state and 
university funds); upgrade ventilation at Smith Laboratory, 
$378,717 (state and university funds); renovate lockers and 
showers at Larkins Hall, $261,150; install heating and electrical 
systems in the Biotechnology Support Facility, $234,077 (funding 
provided in an Ohio Board of Regents Action Grant); renovate area 
around Taylor Tower and Curl Drive, $240,845 (state and 
university funds); upgrade classrooms in Stillman and Ives halls, 
$233,705; replace steam systems at Goss Lab; and improve chiller 
at Dulles Hall, $387,420.

     -- At the Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster: 
renovate offices and laboratories and repair livestock barns, 
$352,330.

     -- At the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center 
in Wooster: build pesticide storage and disposal facilities to 
meet requirements of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, 
$234,000 (northwest branch), $208,000 (southern branch) and 
$472,000 (western branch, including upgrading barns); and build 
facility for research in composting for waste disposal and 
biomass combustion, $713,000.

     -- At the Lima campus: replace Cook Hall roof, $248,981; 
renovate auditorium at Reed Hall, $93,960; renovate library in 
Cook Hall, $114,410; and repair Campus Drive and build loading 
docks at Reed and Cook halls, $186,195.

     -- At the Mansfield campus: renovate a conference room at 
the Eisenhower Memorial Center, $60,000.

     -- At the Newark campus: replace chiller at Founders Hall, 
$134,750.

Trustees authorize small capital improvement projects

     The board approved a list of 62 anticipated capital 
improvement projects for 1997 and authorized the university to 
proceed to hire architects and engineers, request construction 
bids and award contracts.  Approving the list will allow the 
university to proceed with the projects, each with an estimated 
project cost of $1 million or less, subject to scheduling and 
availability of funds.  This will allow the university to more 
forward with projects on a timely basis and will ensure the most 
effective use of university resources.

     The projects, which total an estimated $19.7 million, 
include renovations and repairs of several Columbus campus 
buildings and bringing others into compliance with the Americans 
with Disabilities Act regulations.  Other work is authorized for 
buildings at the Lima, Mansfield, Marion and Newark campuses, as 
well as at ATI and OARDC in Wooster.  Funding for all the 
projects comes from the state.

     Trustees also approved three contracts totaling $927,250 to 
renovate chemistry teaching labs, replace the Lincoln Tower roof 
and upgrade lighting and audio/visual capabilities at Meiling 
Auditorium.

Trustees approve names for farmland and building

     The board approved naming the farmland north of Lane Avenue 
between Kenny and North Star roads the "Waterman Agricultural and 
Natural Resources Laboratory."  The name, proposed by a committee 
representing all the academic units that use the area, better 
reflects the student-faculty teaching and research focus of the 
area than does its former name, the Waterman Farm.

     Trustees also approved naming a new turfgrass facility at 
2710 North Star Rd. in the Waterman complex the "Ohio Turfgrass 
Foundation Research and Education Facility."  Construction of the 
facility was made possible by a $400,000 contribution from the 
Ohio Turfgrass Foundation, a non-profit association of businesses 
and other entities interested in turfgrass.

Miscellaneous business

     In other matters, trustees:

     -- Heard a report by William J. Shkurti, vice president for 
finance, who said units with debt to the university had reduced 
the total amount owed for the fourth consecutive year.  A $45.3 
million accumulated debt at the end of fiscal year 1992 has been 
reduced to $11.3 million.  Shkurti lauded the efforts of OARDC, 
the Office of Academic Affairs, and the colleges of Business and 
Education for their continued progress in reducing their 
deficits.

     -- Heard the first of a quarterly series of budget status 
reports from Shkurti that showed balanced budgets for income and 
expenditures for the first quarter of fiscal year 1997. The 
report showed income of $1.531 billion and expenditures of $1.513 
billion for the year.

     -- Reviewed the Ohio Board of Regents' budget 
recommendations for the 1998-99 biennium.  Shkurti told the board 
that the Regents had adopted the performance funding 
recommendations of the Higher Education Funding Commission.  The 
total request for the state calls for increases of nearly 7 
percent in fiscal year 1998 and 6.3 percent in 1999.  The 
recommendations still must be approved by the governor and Ohio 
General Assembly.

     -- Heard a report from Shkurti and Jerry May, vice president 
for development, about the expenditure of administrative funds to 
support development and endowment activities.  The report showed 
that the cost of development activities in fiscal year 1996 was 
8.1 cents per dollar and the cost of endowment administration was 
0.4 cents per dollar.  May also recommended to the board a budget 
of supplemental expenditures, which includes a 0.5 percent charge 
to all new endowment gifts to be continued for a second year, to 
support the current development campaign.

     -- May also told trustees about recent legislation that will 
allow the university to continue to administer charitable 
remainder trusts, at least until July.  An earlier bill would 
have hampered the university's efforts to manage the trusts, 
which make up a substantial portion of gifts to the university.  
University officials expect to resolve the issue permanently 
during the next General Assembly, May said.

     -- Heard a report by James L. Nichols, university treasurer, 
who said the endowment fund had a market value for the month of 
$691.3 million, its highest ever.  The board also reappointed 
investment managers to assist in handling the university's 
endowment fund.  In doing so, they shifted management of a 
university-administered equity fund to two index funds managed by 
Barclays.

     -- Approved 162 contracts totaling $18.6 million for 
research projects funded in October.

     -- Accepted 85 waivers of competitive bidding requirements 
for purchases totaling $10 million, including $4.9 million for 
blood products for University Hospitals.

     -- Agreed to loan up to $550,000 to MedOhio Health Inc. to 
assist in development and implementation of its home health care 
program for patients served by the University Medical Center.

                            #

Contacts: Jill Morelli, assistant vice president and university 
          architect, (614) 292-4458
          William J. Shkurti, vice president for finance,
          (614) 292-9232

Written by David Bhaerman, University Communications,
(614)292-8422


[Submitted by: Von Vargas  (vargas.12@osu.edu)
               
Fri, 6 Dec 1996 15:12:03 -0500 (EST)]
All documents are the responsibility of their originator.