Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1946 [PAGE 872]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

1945 J

UNIVERSITY O F

ILLINOIS

86 5

T h e members of the Executive Committee authorized acceptance of these proposals, and confirmation of their action is requested.

On motion of Mrs. Grigsby, these awards were confirmed.

NAVAL S C I E N C E BUILDING (8) The United States Navy has approved the establishment of a unit of the Reserve Officers Training Corps at the University of Illinois. Activation of such a unit will begin November 1, 1945. T h e present Navy V-12 unit will be continued but will gradually be replaced by the N.R.O.T.C. T h e program requires a Naval Science Building for the installation of Naval Ordnance and other equipment to provide instructional facilities in Naval Science. While the Navy would prefer a new and separate building, no funds for this are available. It is possible to provide the facilities required by remodeling the old boiler room in the Physical Plant Service Building (formerly the old Power P l a n t ) , which will cost less than a new building. Since funds are available for such remodeling in the Act making appropriations for a State-wide System of Public W o r k s Projects, and it is possible to start construction immediately, the Navy Department has agreed to accept such facilities. The funds are available in the appropriation for "Remodeling and Modernization of Existing Buildings, $143,000" and in "Contingencies to Cover Expenditures for P u r poses for Which the Amount Appropriated in Any Item is Insufficient, $500,000." T h e Governor has already approved the release of the $143,000 so that this money is immediately available. It is estimated that the remodeling of the old boiler room in the Service Building will cost between $250,000 and $270,000, not including any office furnishings and equipment, some of which will be furnished by the Navy. The University may recover some of this expense as Federal funds may be available for N.R.O.T.C. buildings. The maximum recovery would be $75,000. A new building with the same capacity as that available in the Physical Plant Service Building would cost at least $300,000. In addition to the construction cost, it is estimated that operating and maintaining the remodeled building as a Naval Science Building will cost $10,500 a year, which would be a recurring expense. It was necessary to assure the Navy by October 1, 1945, that remodeling of an existing building will cost less than a new building and that funds are available to start such remodeling immediately, and the President of the University authorized the following: (1) preparation of plans and specifications for the remodeling of the old boiler room in the Service Building for use as a Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps Building, (2) the preparation of such plans and specifications for construction by local contractors on a cost-plus-fixed-fee basis, since securing bids would result in a delay of at least 30 days; (3) official notice to the Navy that the above construction program would be started. As previously indicated, the estimated cost of this remodeling will be a maximum of $270,000. The Governor has already released the full amount of $143,000 for remodeling and modernization of existing buildings, and there is a contingencies item of $500,000 for the entire University building program. I therefore recommend that the Board of Trustees request the Governor to release $127,000 of this contingency item to supplement the appropriation of $143,000 for remodeling and modernization of existing buildings. I further recommend that an appropriation of $10,500 be made from the operating reserve to the Physical Plant Department for operation and maintenance* expense on the remodeled building. Since this is an estimated annual operating expense, part of it will lapse, depending on when the remodeling is completed and the quarters are occupied by the Navy. O n m o t i o n of M r . W i l l i a m s o n , t h e s e r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s w e r e a d o p t e d , a n d t h e S e c r e t a r y w a s i n s t r u c t e d t o m a k e r e c o r d of t h e a p p r e c i a t i o n of t h e B o a r d f o r t h e s u c c e s s f u l w o r k of all w h o h a d p a r t i n t h e e s t a b l i s h m e n t of a u n i t of t h e N . R . O . T . C . a t t h e U n i v e r s i t y of I l l i n o i s . T h e appropriation w a s m a d e b y ' t h e following vote: A y e , M r . Davis, Mr. Fornof, M r s . Grigsby, M r . Livingston, M r . McKelvey, M r . M c -