Search

ARCHIVES
CONTACT US
WORLD NEWS

Regents approve expansion of optical sciences building

Arizona Summer Wildcat

Board also considered the future of graduate housing at the

FLAGSTAFF-Arizona Board of Regents Friday gave approval for a $17 million expansion to the Meinel Optical Sciences building.

Upon completion, the University of Arizona's optics program is expected to triple in size in the next 10 years.

"The University of Arizona excels in optical sciences," said Regent Hank Amos, president of the board. "I think this is a great investment."

The optical sciences program is one of the four programs at the UA selected by the Governor's Task Force for Higher Education as a program that should be given priority over other programs.

The expansion will add an additional 47,000 square feet to the facility and will be completed in two phases.

First a new floor will be to added to the top of the building, and then a four-story building will be completed.

The new building is planned to replace the visitors parking lot adjacent to the Main Library.

Included in the plan is a renovation on some of the interior of the building to create a more centralized instructional lab space.

In other business for the June meeting, held at Northern Arizona University, the Regents approved a proposal for a new 1,700 space parking garage on East Sixth Street that will cost also $17 million.

Regents are requesting more information on the project because of a planned 15,000 square foot office space that would house only Parking and Transportation personnel.

"I have trouble with 15,000 square feet for parking administration," said regent Don Ulrich. He said his company's office has 110 people in 8,000 square feet, and it is not crowded.

The project will be funded by selling certificates of participation and will be paid off from revenues from the garages. The cost of building would not result in higher parking costs, said Joel Valdez, UA senior vice president for business affairs.

The university will be considering and starting four parking garages over the next five years, he added.

Regents also approved a project initiation proposal to replace the Christopher City family housing complex.

Valdez suggested that the UA reconsider their current plan to tear down Christopher City.

The first of four options that are currently available for the UA are to tear down Christopher City and rebuild on the existing property.

The second is to buy property and build a new complex, and the third is to purchase and renovate an existing complex. A partnership with a current complex is also a possibility.

Some of the regents were concerned with locations of the new complex and if the areas selected would be good for family living.

"I would like to RFP (Request For Proposal) to include amenities for children," said Regent Judy Gignac.

She added that she was concerned about how the quality of life for living in family housing would be affected.