Board of Regents Policy: Physical Plant B Section 1003.7

 

This authority request is for an amount greater than $150,000, which requires the following additional information.

 

(a) Project description

This project will encompass the construction of a new Chemistry Laboratory facility (approx 60,000 gross square feet) to house chemistry research activities. The facility would include necessary lab support spaces, offices and some seminar space.

 

(b) Cost Estimate and Funding Sources

Estimated Costs

Design         $ 2,500,000

Construction $19,000,000

Contingency $ 2,500,000

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TOTAL         $24,000,000

 

Funding Source

This project will be financed with the proceeds from a sale of new bonds, and the resulting debt service will be fully funded from a pledge of research Facilities & Administration (IDC) overheard funds from Federal grants & contracts.

 

(c) Programs Served, Enrollment Data, Projected Enrollments

The occupants of the proposed facility will consist primarily of chemistry and related research programs; however, the inseparability of research and the teaching enterprise is crucial to the success of MSU's undergraduate and graduate chemistry programs.

Participation in undergraduate research is required for chemistry and biochem majors. Involvement in undergraduate research has been critical to the success of all of our Goldwater scholarship winners in the sciences. There are approximately 100 undergraduate Chemistry & BioChem majors, and over 66 graduate students. Chemistry is one of the two largest PhD granting departments at MSU. Students from all levels assist with funded research and interact closely with research faculty.

Grant and contract expenditures by the Chem & BioChem Department were in excess of $4.6 million.

 

(d) Space Utilization Data

The ~60,000 gross SF facility will be ~65% assignable space, with ~75% of the assignable space consisting of lab and support spaces and ~25% offices. Approximately 15% of lab/office space will remain unassigned until late in the construction period in order to accommodate currently undefined needs.

 

(e) Projected use for available residual space

Much of the space currently occupied by various research activities in Gaines Hall will be used to relieve significant crowding in the existing instructional occupancies, and is expected to result in great efficiency and higher quality delivery of existing instructional programs.

 

(f) Projected O&M Costs and proposed funding sources

Annual O&M Costs will likely range from $500k to $775k per year, depending upon actual building configuration, utility consumption, major maintenance reserve, systems complexity and hours of use.

MSU will fund this increased O&M responsibility with research Facilities & Administration (IDC) overhead funds from Federal grants & contracts. However, this facility will be an integral element of the University's Base Programs, and is still a significant component of the overall Gaines Hall renovation project. Given this, the University may eventually seek Legislative support for all or part of these O&M costs.