Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Bill gives $36 million for A&M-CC facilities

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Wednesday, March 28, 2001
Bill gives $36 million for A&M-CC facilities
Money would pay for classrooms, Harte center
By Anna M. Tinsley
Scripps Howard Austin Bureau
AUSTIN - Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi would receive $36 million of the $55 million requested for two key construction projects under a bill state lawmakers considered Tuesday.
   The bill, presented to the House Higher Education Committee, would let the university use that money for new classrooms and a facility to house the Harte Research Center for Gulf of Mexico Studies.
   Two projects at Texas A&M University-Kingsville also made it into the draft bill - $11.6 million for a pharmacy school and $10.8 million for a student services building.
   Lawmakers explained and discussed the bill Tuesday but took no action.
   Robert Furgason, president of A&M-Corpus Christi, said he was pleased the bill included funding for the two local projects, which he has called a priority.
   "Realistically, we know you never get everything you ask for,'' Furgason said, adding that he hopes additional funds might be found later in the session and added to the total. "But in the event that this is the final number, we know we can work with it.
   "I feel (lawmakers) have done a wonderful job in representing our campus. I'm very positive about this.''
   Only Houston gets more
   Only one project received a larger allocation than the one for A&M-Corpus Christi. The University of Houston received a $54 million designation for its science and engineering research and classrooms.
   "That really speaks a strong statement to our campus and people in the Coastal Bend,'' Furgason said. "This Legislature is working hard for us. They understand the needs and want to keep us moving forward in a positive way.''
   The local requests were among 46 construction projects in the state, at a total cost of $568,701, that lawmakers included in the draft bill.
   The proposal by state Rep. Rob Junell, D-San Angelo, was left pending because it was just a draft bill. He said he hopes to have the bill completed and to the committee by next week.
   Bill considered next week
   The House Higher Education Committee is expected to consider the bill next week, said state Rep. Irma Rangel, D-Kingsville and chairwoman of the committee.
   Junell told the committee that he had a tough job deciding which projects would receive funding. More than 100 projects didn't get funding.
   "We tried to give every school it's first (or top priority) project,'' said Junell, who heads the House Appropriations Committee. "I've tried to fashion something that can be fair.
   "I'm not sure this does that ... but I did the best I could do.''
   If the $36 million for the local projects stays in the bill, Furgason said university officials will use a portion of it to build new classrooms and laboratories.
   Since 1994, when the school became a four-year university, the school's student body has grown 28 percent, from 5,152 students to 6,896 during fall 2000, according to university figures.
   University officials said growth has continued this year as they project overall enrollment to reach 7,000. Officials anticipate 15,000 students enrolling by fall 2010.
   Space deficiency
   Furgason said the university has a space deficiency of more than 70,000 square feet. The shortage could reach 460,000 square feet by 2010 if additional space is not provided.
   This project, which initially called for $40 million, was rated by the coordinating board as "excellent," meaning it is one of the most important projects the state could undertake.
   The second project is to build a facility to house the new Harte Research Center for Gulf of Mexico Studies.
   Former Caller-Times Publisher Ed Harte last year donated $46 million for the center. But the university now needs to build a facility to house the center - a 60,000-square-foot building for research laboratories and offices. The campus currently has no facility that can accommodate the new research, Furgason said.
   The coordinating board did not rate the research center project because Harte gave the gift after the university submitted project requests to the board, Furgason said.
   Furgason initially asked for $15 million to build the facility.
   This overall bill responds to requests state lawmakers receive every four years from officials at Texas' colleges and universities for help in constructing new buildings, classrooms and other facilities on campuses.
   This year, Texas' 36 public colleges and universities made 189 requests totaling $3.1 billion, according to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, which reviewed and rated the requests.
   If approved by the entire Legislature, these projects will be funded through tuition revenue bonds and repaid with revenues from tuition and fees.
   A&M-Corpus Christi and A&M-Kingsville projects that didn't make the list:

$20 million for a recreation/kinesiology facility at TAMU-CC.

$15 million for campus infrastructure expansion and upgrades at TAMU-CC.

$20 million for general expansion in Kingsville.

$12 million for a wildlife center/agriculture building in Kingsville.

$7.8 million for the citrus research center in Weslaco.

$4 million for a music building in Kingsville.


Scripps Howard Austin Bureau writer Anna M. Tinsley can be reached at (512) 334-6642 or by e-mail at tinsleya@scripps.com

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