Spring Break
Budget for Tate expansion increases
Students should not see rise in fee
BRIAN MINK
Issue date: 10/10/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
CARROLLTON - The Board of Regents approved a $17 million increase for the Tate Center Expansion Tuesday.
The Committee on Real Estate and Facilities voted unanimously to increase the budget of the Tate Center Expansion and Parking Deck from the April 2006 estimate of $41 million to $58 million.
The $17 million increase - almost 30 percent more than the project's April 2006 budget request - was approved by the committee without discussion.
In January 2007 The Red & Black reported the budget increased to $52 million - meaning Tuesday's decision increased the budget by an additional $6 million.
Tate II, as the expansion is often called, will be funded by a $25 increase per semester in student fees.
Students approved the student facility fee in a March 2005 vote.
Students began paying the facility fee in fall 2006, and each student has contributed $75 to the project so far. With 33,500 students at the University, more than $2.5 million has been raised.
The $58 million budget accounts for rising costs of materials and labor as well as additions to the construction plan - like the multi-purpose space that the original proposal to the Board of Regents did not fully take into account.
University architect project manager Joe Powell added that the facility fee students pay, used to fund the construction of Tate II, is not expected to rise.
Powell said in a phone interview that the University has been working with the larger figure for about 18 months.
"This was just an update for Board of Regents," Powell said.
The Tate II project features a 95,000-square-foot student center expansion and a 500-space parking deck.
In addition, 112,592-square-feet in the existing Tate Student Center will be renovated, according to University System of Georgia documents.
"We're excited about this project and recommend it to (the Board) for your consideration," said University System of Georgia Vice Chancellor for Facilities Linda Daniels in a presentation to the committee.
According to Board of Regents policy, a proposed increase in student fees must go through a committee that is at least half students before it is approved by the Board.
- Sam Steinberg contributed to this report.
The Committee on Real Estate and Facilities voted unanimously to increase the budget of the Tate Center Expansion and Parking Deck from the April 2006 estimate of $41 million to $58 million.
The $17 million increase - almost 30 percent more than the project's April 2006 budget request - was approved by the committee without discussion.
In January 2007 The Red & Black reported the budget increased to $52 million - meaning Tuesday's decision increased the budget by an additional $6 million.
Tate II, as the expansion is often called, will be funded by a $25 increase per semester in student fees.
Students approved the student facility fee in a March 2005 vote.
Students began paying the facility fee in fall 2006, and each student has contributed $75 to the project so far. With 33,500 students at the University, more than $2.5 million has been raised.
The $58 million budget accounts for rising costs of materials and labor as well as additions to the construction plan - like the multi-purpose space that the original proposal to the Board of Regents did not fully take into account.
University architect project manager Joe Powell added that the facility fee students pay, used to fund the construction of Tate II, is not expected to rise.
Powell said in a phone interview that the University has been working with the larger figure for about 18 months.
"This was just an update for Board of Regents," Powell said.
The Tate II project features a 95,000-square-foot student center expansion and a 500-space parking deck.
In addition, 112,592-square-feet in the existing Tate Student Center will be renovated, according to University System of Georgia documents.
"We're excited about this project and recommend it to (the Board) for your consideration," said University System of Georgia Vice Chancellor for Facilities Linda Daniels in a presentation to the committee.
According to Board of Regents policy, a proposed increase in student fees must go through a committee that is at least half students before it is approved by the Board.
- Sam Steinberg contributed to this report.
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