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Posted on Mon, Jun 25, 2012 : 3:26 p.m.

Snyder signs bill granting University of Michigan $30M for construction project

By Kellie Woodhouse

Gov. Rick Snyder signed a bill Monday that will grant the University of Michigan $30 million in state funds to renovate a 1950s-era engineering laboratory and classroom building.

Rick Snyder in office 3.JPG

Gov. Rick Synder signed a law today granting the University of Michigan $30 million for an imminent construction project.

Lon Horwedel | AnnArbor.com

The state Legislature approved the capital outlay request for renovations to George Granger Brown Memorial Laboratories on North Campus earlier this month.

The upgrade includes a 62,500-square-foot addition for research laboratories and offices for faculty and graduate students to support mechanical engineering research. The project was first approved by the U-M Board of Regents in 2010.

U-M will cover the remaining $17 million in renovation costs, bringing the project total to $47 million. Ann Arbor last received capital outlay funding in 2005.

The legislation authorizes construction on a statewide total of $613.1 million for 18 university and community college construction projects. The state is providing $304.5 million.

The projects faced some uncertainty as state officials searched for funding amid belt-tightening in Lansing.

"Prior to our new governor we were told these were a go," said Jerry Schulte, U-M associate director for construction and design, earlier this month. "I think they got handed to the governor with no funding source."

All capital outlay projects are being funded through the State Building Authority. Bonds are a key funding source for the projects.

Kellie Woodhouse covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at kelliewoodhouse@annarbor.com or 734-623-4602 and follow her on twitter.

Comments

Jay Thomas

Tue, Jun 26, 2012 : 3:56 p.m.

So maintenance money comes from the taxpayers... that way every tuition dollar can pass through to staff salaries and benefits.;) :P

Mike

Tue, Jun 26, 2012 : 12:08 p.m.

This sends a bad message to the rest of the state. While UM raises tuition beyond the reach of it's citizens and sit on a large endowment it gets 30 million taxpaye dollars to build new facilities to attract more out of state students?

MoonmanDon

Tue, Jun 26, 2012 : 11:19 a.m.

Of course He did. When will EMU receive money like that. Oh wait, never.

say it plain

Tue, Jun 26, 2012 : 4:43 a.m.

Oh, honestly, the UM has billions sitting around to spend on this...how about re-directing that money toward the struggling MI public schools so that more MI citizens might stay and learn in the UM buildings that will get any and all necessary upgrades even without state money added to their huge pot o' cash?!

Kafkaland

Mon, Jun 25, 2012 : 11:44 p.m.

@BornNRaised: UM does not enjoy "free fire protection". They are billed every time a fire call is made, to the tune of a few thousand dollars each. It's pay-per-service, vs. the "flat rate" we pay through our property taxes. Also, Um routinely chips in for specialized equipment like hazmat trucks that a city of this size would ordinarily not have, but need becasue of UM. This also to the benefit of some local businesses. And that UM pays that way makes sense, after all, they have an infrastructure in place to avoid false fire calls - when the fire alarm goes off during finals, it makes sense to have DPS or the building manager check it out first before calling the big truck, which may be needed elsewhere for a real fire. The same is not true for the average resident: you want them to show up whenever you call 911, and don't ahve to worry about the bill.

snapshot

Thu, Jun 28, 2012 : 5:09 a.m.

Kafkaland, I like the way you try to turn this around so that the UofM is somehow paying more than their share....their not. A city income tax would equalize that inequity. What do you think about that?

YpsiVeteran

Tue, Jun 26, 2012 : 4:14 a.m.

BornNRaised, it's part of the same plan that has lawyers being called instead of police when child pornography belonging to university medical students is found on university computers. All part of the "infrastructure" in place to avoid the involvement of those pesky "outsiders."

BornNRaised

Tue, Jun 26, 2012 : 3:08 a.m.

Yes, when fire doubles in size every 30 seconds, it's much smarter to send a college cop to go look at it first. Dollars before safety. Should be a new UofM motto.

Ron Granger

Mon, Jun 25, 2012 : 10:39 p.m.

Whenever I hear Snyder is doing something, I instinctively check for my wallet and count my cash.

snapshot

Tue, Jun 26, 2012 : 2:20 a.m.

You still have cash in your wallet? Life must be good.

Homeland Conspiracy

Mon, Jun 25, 2012 : 10:23 p.m.

The picture makes me thing he's talking about something different...

xmo

Mon, Jun 25, 2012 : 10:16 p.m.

Sounds like the Governor is spending on education. Maybe not the way the "Progressives/Liberals" like but he is spending it.

Ron Granger

Mon, Jun 25, 2012 : 10:12 p.m.

"George Granger Brown Memorial Laboratories" Uncle George Granger? He owes me money! How can I get a piece of this taxpayer payout?

Tom Todd

Mon, Jun 25, 2012 : 10:11 p.m.

How did this guy get away with taking so much from the middle class? oh i forgot it's easy others in the middle class are jealous of there neighbors.

bobslowson

Tue, Jun 26, 2012 : 4:24 p.m.

Because voters were duped into actually thinking he would create some jobs in this state. Instead, he gave his business buddies a tax cut while he cut the middle class to the bone. Trickle down economics working for the great state of MI...yeah right...

snapshot

Tue, Jun 26, 2012 : 2:18 a.m.

Have's and have nots...................that "jealousy" factorn you mention will grow if the economy continues to decline.....and the have nots know where the conspicous have's live. Think French Revolution.

YpsiVeteran

Mon, Jun 25, 2012 : 10:01 p.m.

Why are we giving 30 mil to an institution with a seven billion dollar endowment? Especially an institution that continually thumbs its nose at the state and the public?

alarictoo

Thu, Jun 28, 2012 : 12:44 p.m.

Wish I could hit "Vote UP" on this one a million times! That is exactly my issue with this. U of M's finances are FAR healthier than the State's! that $30 mill is just a drop of condensation on the cool $7 Billion that UMich is sitting on.

Madeleine Borthwick

Tue, Jun 26, 2012 : 7:37 p.m.

YpsiVeteran, thank you. Too right!!!

jcj

Tue, Jun 26, 2012 : 3:14 a.m.

waiting for a rebuttal mixman.

YpsiVeteran

Tue, Jun 26, 2012 : 1:32 a.m.

In conclusion mix, please remember that "opinions" can be based on facts, but are by definition, never "factual."

YpsiVeteran

Tue, Jun 26, 2012 : 1:30 a.m.

Mix, a post below, by Kafkaland suggests that the U is paying for fire protection in some way, so lets replace that part of my post with the outrageous disdain for the taxpaying public conveyed by the fact that the U, which still clings to the pretense that it is a "state university" finds it absolutely necessary to have the highest-paid police chief in the entire state. If that's not thumbing your nose at a population and a state that have ranked near the top in economic and human suffering over the last 6 or 7 years, then nothing is.

YpsiVeteran

Tue, Jun 26, 2012 : 1:22 a.m.

I guess we could then look at the situation in which the "powers that be" at the U decided to sweep the discovery of child pornography under the rug, where it certainly would have remained if not for media attention forcing action. Then there's the fact that the University does not reimburse the city of A2 for fire protection, even though it has plenty of money with which to do so. My personal favorite, however, is the illustrious Ms. Coleman, who never fails to convey her disdain for all persons and organizations who dare to question the activities and practices of the University. I could include several dozen links to articles in which Ms. Coleman has voiced her contempt for the state legislature and everyone else not under the spell of her academia-trumps-all Kool-Aid, but I think you could find them easily enough on your own.

YpsiVeteran

Tue, Jun 26, 2012 : 1:15 a.m.

Well mix, let's start with the issue of stem cell reporting requirements. A situation in which the University responded to a reporting request that could have been satisfied in a 2-page report with 50 or 60 -pages of crap? http://www.freep.com/article/20120322/NEWS06/203220436/Battle-with-GOP-lawmakers-over-stem-cells-could-cost-U-M-state-ai Then let's move on to indefensible, unsupportable and continual increases in tuition that outstrip inflation, the cost of benefits and every other useful measurement by double digits. Then there's the Proposition 2 debacle, where the University vowed to continue to use race in admissions in spite of the fact that 52% of the state's residents voted to ban its use.

mixmaster

Tue, Jun 26, 2012 : 12:24 a.m.

The burden on proof is on YpsiVet. He made the claim. I don't necessarily dispute it, but loads of commenters spout this opinion all the time without ever offering anything of substance to back it up.

jcj

Mon, Jun 25, 2012 : 10:37 p.m.

mixmaster Please tell us the last time the U of M looked at what is best for the city when doing ANYTHING!

Ron Granger

Mon, Jun 25, 2012 : 10:11 p.m.

The U routinely completely disregards the local community impact of their expansion and construction plans.

mixmaster

Mon, Jun 25, 2012 : 10:08 p.m.

Please tell us how the UM continually thumbs its nose at the state and the public? Remember that opinions are often less than factual.

genetracy

Mon, Jun 25, 2012 : 9:29 p.m.

Mean ol' Rick, giving only 300 mill to the university.

mixmaster

Mon, Jun 25, 2012 : 9:44 p.m.

That's $304.5 million statewide. UM gets $30 million from the state for this particular project. The rest comes from selling bonds.

Madeleine Borthwick

Mon, Jun 25, 2012 : 8:13 p.m.

thanks a WHOLE LOT, Mr. Snyder. so that's why you want to tax seniors?! why am I not surprised?!

Madeleine Borthwick

Tue, Jun 26, 2012 : 7:35 p.m.

Snapshot, I DO pay my taxes like everyone else. Do Not expect me to be quiet about some of the ways in which those tax dollars are spent. last I checked, I have the right to kvetch. if you don't like what you are hearing, then don't listen. freedom is not free. the price we pay for certain freedoms is that sometimes we hear or read something we (gasp!!)don't like or agree with. Get Over It.

ruminator

Tue, Jun 26, 2012 : 4:57 p.m.

Well Snapshot, let us know how you feel when and IF you can retire. Will you have an extra $150 each month to "get over it" ?

snapshot

Tue, Jun 26, 2012 : 2:14 a.m.

Get over it and pay your taxes like everyone else.

BornNRaised

Mon, Jun 25, 2012 : 8:03 p.m.

How about taking that money and 'allowing' the U to pay the city for the free fire protection that they've been long overdue on?

snapshot

Tue, Jun 26, 2012 : 2:13 a.m.

I agree.

treetowncartel

Mon, Jun 25, 2012 : 8:03 p.m.

Wait a minute, I thought the university didn't use tax payer money and that we citizens shouldn't have any say in how it is run.

snapshot

Thu, Jun 28, 2012 : 5:13 a.m.

The truth hurts, the nurses union made it a point to point out that if the UofM had money for new construction they certainly had more money for them.

snapshot

Tue, Jun 26, 2012 : 2:12 a.m.

Now all those public employees will use this against us in contract negotiations. U of M employees don't believe they work for a taxpayer funded "public" institution that's supposed to "serve" the public good. Look back at the reasoning of the Nurses union in their negotiations.

Phil K.

Mon, Jun 25, 2012 : 11:35 p.m.

The *athletic department* doesn't use taxpayer funds, they are self funded. As taxpayers, you DO get a say. You get to elect the board of regents who in turn approved this expansion. As an aside, the college of engineering self funds to some degree, as do many of the other colleges within the university by way of research grants, patent licenses, etc. State of Michigan appropriations make up less than 30% of U of M's budget, a figure that has been falling consistently since the early 1980's. But don't let me get in the way of a good anti-largest-employer-in-Michigan rant.

M

Mon, Jun 25, 2012 : 7:52 p.m.

Hooray! GG Brown is due - it's really old and could use some updates. It's nice to see the Engineering school get some love - most of the money goes to central campus since that's a much larger tuition-money draw.