Prairie Public NewsRoom
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

BHE committee endorses UND proposal on deferred maintenance

University of North Dakota

A committee of the Board of Higher Education has given its okay to a plan by UND for an $80 million deferred maintenance project.

Under the proposal, the project would be funded by North Dakota Building Authority bonds. In turn, UND would pay back those bonds as part of its "ongoing expenses."

UND Associate Vice-President for facilities Mike Pieper told the Board’s Budget and Finance Committee the project would be in the University’s “core area,” including the “quad.” Pieper also said this would help repurpose some buildings, such as Twamley Hall, which houses UND Administration. He said Twamley would become an academic building, and the process to convert it has already begun.

"Research has recently been moved to the Tech Accelerator, and Marketing over to Skalicky," Pieper told the committee. "That building (Twamley) is slowly being emptied in preparation for the conversion."

Pieper said the plan is to eventually tear down Gamble Hall.

Committee chairman Nick Hacker commended UND for bringing forward this idea.

"If we don't do something, the project will continue to get worse," Hacker said. "The dollar amount will continue to go up."

The plan is to amend the funding bill, now pending in the Legislature, to allow UND to work with the Building Authority. The proposal must still be approved by the full Board of Higher Education.

Related Content