The University of Massachusetts Boston’s most recent construction projects are each expected to cost millions, according to a recent public briefing. Some projects are being funded by the state, others are overseen by the University of Massachusetts Building Authority (UMBA), and the remaining are funded by the university’s budget.
In an interview with the Mass Media, Holly Sutherland, the manager of Construction Plan and Master Plan Communication, stated that only eight percent of the university’s total budget goes toward these construction projects, despite concerns of the current budget crisis.
The university has three main projects. The first project is the Utility Corridor and Roadway Relocation (UCRR). The UCRR was projected to cost $259.5 million, but was later increased by an additional $26 million due to “cost increases [resulting from] soil handling and prioritizing work areas to enable Residence Hall and Garage Construction,” according to the public briefing held last week. Currently, the UCRR’s roadway leads to the Campus Center and “will impact access for pedestrians, cyclists, and those using it as a pick-up and drop-off area through the winter,” UMass Boston’s communications office reported earlier this week. The project is expected to be completed and ready for operation by 2018 and is being overseen by the UMBA.
The resident hall project, which has been in the works since 2016, is scheduled to be completed by 2018. It is a $120 million project that has been funded through a UMass Boston Public Private Partnership (P3).
The third project is parking. The 1,400-space parking garage is projected to cost $71 million, and other parking changes will take place in the Campus Center, Bayside, and Lot D. The garage construction is overseen by the UMBA and has an expected completion date of fall 2018.
The parking garage near the Integrated Sciences Complex is in progress. According to Sutherland, 1093 pieces are being used for the garage; 160 (nearly a tenth) have been built since Oct. 25. The garage is expected to be eight stories high and the ramp section is to be completed by the end of the spring semester. Students and faculty who wish to use the garage will be able to do so by next fall. Sutherland told the Mass Media that there is a possibility for a soft-opening for the garage in summer 2018.
The parking garage under the Science Building, which was constructed in the 1970s, has been “faulty,” according to Sutherland. In 2006, $38 million was spent to stabilize the substructure. Before the repairs, pieces of concrete have fallen on faculty members’ cars.
The swimming pool, which has been highly anticipated by UMass Boston faculty and students, is a part of the science building’s substructure. Sutherland explained that the project has been removed from UMass Boston’s Capital Plan because the project is expected to cost $10 million.
The Mass Media will continue to provide coverage on these construction projects in the future, as well as their relation to UMass Boston’s current school deficit.