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| Vol. 17, No. 29 | April 30, 1998 |
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| Vol. 17, No. 29 | April 30, 1998 |
While thanking Gov. Carper for his recommended support of $8.5 million, Roselle said it fell short of the $12.25 million University need.
When he assumed the UD presidency, Roselle said, he proposed as a central planning objective the restoration and maintenance of campus buildings and infrastructure.
"By any measure," he said, "we have been very successful in meeting that goal-thanks in no small measure to the support we have received from the state.
"While other campuses struggle with issues of deferred maintenance, the University of Delaware is fast approaching the point where we will be on a cycle of planned maintenance," Roselle said, noting that this progress was achieved through the combined resources of the University and the state, as well as the generosity of numerous benefactors. Roselle asked the legislators for their "continued support to preserve one of Delaware's most valuable assets."
The University's request for $3.75 million over the governor's recommendation includes:
Memorial Hall-considered both architecturally and historically significant-was constructed in 1923 and is sometimes referred to as "one of the campus' 'architectural heroes,'" Roselle said. The building, which has not been renovated since the 1960s, has outdated infrastructure and was closed in January for extensive renovation and rehabilitation.
Memorial Hall is scheduled to reopen in February 1999 after an extensive renovation that includes deeper excavation of much of the basement, new mechanical systems, handicapped access, renovation of all offices and classrooms and a three-story in-fill of two courtyards.
The University is committed to providing $1 million of institutional and private funds to support the project. The additional requested funds over the University's original request of $3.5 million, which the governor recommended, are needed to meet unanticipated cost increases resulting from the state's current competitive bidding climate for the construction trades, Roselle explained.
Townsend Hall on the south campus in Newark remains much as it was when first built in 1950, except for a partial renovation in 1967. The requested funds will be used to update the building's mechanical, electrical and communications systems, as well as enhancing building accessibility for persons with disabilities.
This project, which will modernize all laboratories to meet the standards for today's uses and today's air-handling requirements, is scheduled to begin in June, with completion at the end of the calendar year 1999.
The Carpenter Sports Building was originally constructed in 1942, with additions in the 1950s and 1960s. Requested funds would be used to upgrade mechanical systems, install air conditioning and reconfigure spaces to accommodate increased usage demands on the building, which includes the Employee Wellness Center, fitness centers for students and employees, basketball and racquetball courts, a swimming pool, locker rooms and administrative and support offices.
The executive budget recommendation for this project is $250,000 less than the $750,000 the University requested for purchase of a 1-million-lb. University Testing Machine and reaction wall as a component of the Application of Advanced Materials to Civil Infrastructure Project. The equipment is considered essential to the research activity of the project, Roselle said.
Wolf Hall was constructed in 1916 and its proposed renovation would include upgrading laboratories and classrooms with the latest technology, as well as replacement of mechanical systems and enhancement of building accessibility.
The Penny Hall heating and cooling system, installed in 1940, has lived well beyond its useful life, Roselle said, and the condition of the control system makes occupant comfort impossible. Ceiling and lighting replacement also is scheduled as part of the $1 million-plus project.
Renovation of the historic, former St. Thomas Episcopal Church, built in 1843, is being done in two phases, Roselle explained. The first, currently under way, will stabilize the building and make it water-tight and the second will include renovation of the interior to accommodate the building's new use as a campus performance and lecture space. The University will invest its own resources in this project, on a matching basis with the state, Roselle said.
The $250,000 requested is for stabilization of approximately 200 feet of shoreline on the Lewes/ Rehoboth Canal, east of the University's Marine Operations Facility, and 150 feet of shoreline on the Broadkill River, where the University's Pollution Ecology and Shellfish laboratories are located. Stabilization, to prevent further loss from erosion, would involve excavating, laying filter cloth and covering the areas with rip-rap.
Photo by Jack Buxbaum
