With the passing of Bond Issue B in the Nov. 5 election, UNM can expect about $6 million to upgrade and remodel some of the campus' most popular buildings.
Harvey Chace, associate director of Physical Plant for Maintenance and Construction, said some of the money will be used to address basic utility and infrastructure needs.
"We've already outlined projects in what we've considered our core building renewal projects," Chace said.
The $6 million will be used to upgrade utilities in some of UNM's core buildings -- Castetter Hall, Northrop Hall, the Physics and Astronomy Building and Mesa Vista Hall.
Chace said those buildings are being serviced because they are areas where a lot of academic work goes on and they will remain a part of the campus for a long time.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
He added that those buildings, built about 30 years ago in response to a growing college population of baby boomers, are in need of normal maintenance.
Heating and cooling ducts and plumbing and electrical lines are all components of the buildings that have been targeted for upgrades.
Roger Lujan, director of Facility Planning, said about $3.2 million of the appropriated funds will be used to finish remodeling of the old bookstore, which now contains some offices and the Museum of Southwestern Biology.
That remodeling includes the building's entire third floor, which was never modeled or partitioned.
The remodeled third floor will contain computer technology that will be used by biology researchers and media arts students, Lujan said.
Chace said that by moving researchers into the third floor of the former bookstore, Castetter Hall will have some free space to use as needed.
Officials from the Physical Plant Department will be determining what other buildings have priority in receiving Bond B funding.
Bond Issue B created revenue for all state colleges and universities by accessing a fee for the state's property owners.
UNM's portion is what state legislators allocated to the University, although officials lobbied for $7 million, Chace said.
Next year, UNM will go through the same lobbying process to receive more money that will be used in the core building renewal project. If that request is honored, revenue will come from a direct appropriation, not a bond.
Spending must be approved by the UNM Board of Regents.
Although there is no specific timetable for when the Bond B money will start being distributed, Lujan said that generally speaking, bonds are typically sold in March.
Chace said a majority of the Bond B money will be used for interior work, but if any exterior or extensive interior work needs to be done, it will be performed during summer sessions to have minimal impact upon students.
