United Spirit Arena Cost Of Construction
Facilities projects, from renaming old buildings to constructing new ones, dominated the discussion at Thursday's Texas Tech Board of Regents meeting.
Michael Molina, vice chancellor of facilities planning and construction, presented a $699 million five-year capital projects plan for the campus, outlining more than 80 current and future construction and renovation projects on the university's agenda. The plan includes the renovation of United Supermarkets Arena, along with the construction of a new building to house the various offices of the Texas Tech System.
"We've got very robust building projects going on because we're growing," said Debbie Montford, chairwoman of the regents' facilities committee.
USA renamed
The meeting spelled tough luck for fans less than thrilled with the new name of the United Supermarkets Arena.
After discussing the matter in a closed session, the regents voted to accept a $9.45 million gift from United Supermarkets for renovations to the arena - a move thatcements the name change.
"We're very grateful for United Supermarkets and their long-standing commitment to Texas Tech," said Larry Anders, vice chairman of the board.
Molina presented the board with a $4.3 million plan to renovate the building formerly known as the United Spirit Arena.
According to the presentation, renovations include improvements to the men's and women's basketball locker rooms and team lounge areas along with an update of the sports medicine training and nutrition area.
The project also includes enhancing the graphics in the west entry lobby and practice gym.
The renovations will be funded with taxable debt through the Revenue Finance System and repaid with money from the naming agreement with United.
Tech and United announced the name change earlier this month, hoping it clarifies United's ties to the building.
TTU System Office
A proposed construction project would give Texas Tech System administrators their own space away from their counterparts serving Texas Tech. The two entities now share quarters in Tech's Administration Building.
Members of the regents' facilities committee approved plans to build a new office near the intersection of the Marsha Sharp Freeway and Texas Tech Parkway. The project has a projected cost of $27.5 million.
Headquartered at Tech, the TTU System is the umbrella institution for each of its component universities: Tech, Angelo State University, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at El Paso. It includes the Office of the Chancellor, General Counsel and Research and Commercialization.
The office's new location was chosen partly because the building will overlook both Tech and the Health Sciences Center.
The new building will be funded by each of the component schools contributing one-tenth of 1 percent of their total budget to its construction.
"This is the best thing that we could do for the system and for all the components," Chancellor Kent Hance said.
Also at the meeting:
¦ Regents heard a presentation from Raymund Paredes, commissioner of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Paredes discussed the state of higher education in Texas, decrying the education gap between students from higher and lower income families.
¦ Regents approved the appointment of Richard Lange to the position of president of the Health Sciences Center at El Paso. He will begin his duties July 1.
¦ The Academic, Clinical and Student Affairs Committee approved the creation of a bachelor of civil engineering degree at ASU.
¦ The ACS committee approved the creation of a department of teacher education in the College of Education.
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Source: https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/education/2014/05/16/regents-approve-naming-united-supermarkets-arena-and-beginnings-new-building/15041245007/