Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1938 [PAGE 153]

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1937]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

ISI

The committee, as its report indicates, spent a great deal of time evaluating the different projects and determining as accurately as_ possible the order of their importance and urgency. As a result of its studies, the committee has compiled a suggested building program covering seven biennial periods beginning July 1, 1937 (see Exhibit B). This program covers 33 items of the requests submitted to the committee and four additional items which the committee considers important. It represents a total estimated expenditure of $16,250,000 or approximately $2,300,000 per biennium. While the committee looked on this program as ideal and highly desirable, it recognized that there might be practical difficulties in carrying it out at the rate suggested. Accordingly, it submitted, supplementary to its principal report, an alternate program providing for an expenditure of approximately $1,600,000 per biennium (see Exhibit C). Such a plan, of course, would mean that a longer period of time would be required to carry out the same program as contemplated for seven periods in the original report. After careful consideration, I am now recommending that the Board of Trustees adopt the alternate schedule for 1937-1939 as submitted by the special committee with the following modifications: (1) With respect to the equipment for the second unit of the Medical and Dental Building, a careful survey of this problem indicates that not less than $350,000 must be secured now for this purpose if possible instead of $300,000 as suggested by the committee. In accordance with the instruction of the Board, a special appropriation bill for this item has been drafted and will be presented at the earliest possible opportunity. (2) The schedule as submitted by the committee allowed $400,000 for the erection of a portion of the Agricultural Laboratories Building. Further inquiry indicates that two units are necessary to make it possible for the Agricultural Departments to release a sufficient amount of the Old Agricultural Building to provide necessary relief for Chemistry, and the item for these units is increased

to $425,000.

(3) The committee recommendation includes no provision for additions to land during the coming biennium, this item having been deferred to the succeeding biennium. It does not seem wise to defer certain important acquisitions for that long and, for that reason, the sum of $100,000 has been added for this purpose. The proposed schedule of capital additions for the coming biennium as now recommended is then as follows: Equipment for second unit of Medical and Dental Building.. $ 350 000 Addition to Library Building 350 000 Agricultural Laboratories Buildings (first unit) 425 000 Remodeling of and addition to Old Agriculture Building for use of Chemistry 250 000 Addition to Student Hospital 150 000 [Journalism Building 250 ooo]1 Land purchases 100 000 Total $1 625 ooo1 [$i 875 000] On October 27, in adopting a tentative budget for 1937-1939 the Board of Trustees approved a sum of $1,535,000 for capital additions. It is now recommended that in place of the amount tentatively approved at that time the foregoing list of items be approved as requests for capital additions for the coming biennium and that authorization be given for including these items in the appropriation bill to be presented to the General Assembly. The report of the special building committee included an extended list of comments received by the committee relating to the different items recommended by it. These comments are included herein by way of further explanation of the problems faced by the respective departments.

'See action below, page 156, adding $350,000 for Journalism Building.