SUMMARY OF THE UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY’S
5-YEAR SUNY CAPITAL REQUEST

STRATEGIC INITIATIVES – TOP PRIORITIES
The University at Albany is equally committed to growing and remaining on the cutting-edge in a number of areas so that it is able to compete nationally with peer institutions for the best and brightest students, faculty, researchers, and staff. As a result, the University is requesting $273.6 million of mission critical “strategic initiatives” aimed at supporting its educational and research missions, as follows:

1. School of Business Building – $54 Million: A new academic and research facility will enable UAlbany’s School of Business to be recognized as one of the top public business schools in the northeastern United States, while adapting to the ever-changing needs of the modern day business student. Capital funds would be used to construct, outfit, and equip a new, state-of-the-art, 90,000 square foot building on the uptown campus, which will significantly strengthen the School’s undergraduate and graduate educational and research mission.

2. Campus Center Addition/Renovation – $31 Million: Institutions around the nation recognize that a “student center” is one of the most important facilities for enhancing the quality of life for students, as well as attracting high-ability students. Unfortunately, the University’s existing Campus Center is grossly inadequate – inferior in size, lacking in amenities, and in desperate need of repair. To remain competitive, the University must offer state-of -the-art student services/student activities facilities. As a result, capital funds are requested to construct a 75,000 square-foot addition to the existing Campus Center that will meet the needs of current and future students. This addition would allow for the consolidation of student service functions, upgrading of dining facilities, and the expansion of recreational student programs.

3. Multi-Use Athletic Facility (Phase II, Athletics Master Plan) – $50 Million: While having built the best-performing Division I athletics programs in SUNY, the University has by far received the lowest level of capital investment for athletic facilities among the four SUNY Research Centers. As a result, UAlbany has some athletic facilities which are inadequate for NCAA Division I competition. Constructing a new multi-use athletic facility will enable UAlbany to further strengthen its athletics program and compete with some of the best Division I universities and colleges in the country. Capital funding would be used to construct a new 8,000-10,000 seat multi-use turf facility and a 150,000 square-foot connector facility, while providing expansion and improvement at SEFCU Arena (e.g., amenities, offices). Fields and facilities will also be designed and programmed for additional recreational, intramural and general student exercise use.

4. National Institute for Sustainable Energy – $60 Million: With heightened national awareness on environmental sustainability and a growing societal need to develop alternative energy sources, the University is seeking capital funding to design and construct a 100,000 square-foot “zero energy” building to house the National Institute for Sustainable Energy at its #1 ranked College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering. The building will act as a zero energy laboratory, for demonstration, deployment and education in the environmentally-friendly renewable energy technologies of the 21st century. This building expands education and research capacity for the application of nanotechnology to critical energy problems in the United States.

5. Campus Revitalization (Phase II) – $25 Million: This Campus Revitalization and Beautification initiative will serve to enhance the campus’ physical infrastructure by improving pedestrian safety, addressing hardscape and pavement improvements, rehabilitating and beautifying the academic podium, and improving green space and general campuswide beautification. In so doing it will seek the most efficient and sustainable use of land; return green space to campus; and handle overflow and other campus needs.

6. Swing Space Sciences Building – $33.6 Million: The mechanical and laboratory systems in four (4) science buildings (Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, and Physics) on the main campus are in need of extensive gut renovation. In order to accommodate these capital improvement projects, the University is seeking capital funding to design and construct 60,000 square feet of swing space to house our faculty and staff across these scientific disciplines. The “Swing Space Sciences Building” will be enable the University to properly plan and execute these critical maintenance projects, which will require phased-in relocation of building occupants over the next two decades

7. Downtown Campus Enhancement (formerly ranked #8) – $20 Million: The Downtown Campus – the original UAlbany campus – is in significant need of improvement. This initiative will serve to upgrade and rehabilitate downtown campus spaces for emerging program needs. Various initiatives and renovations to downtown campus spaces include renovation of unused Milne basement, rehabilitation of Richardson basement, to name a few.

CRITICAL MAINTENANCE:
Major Backlog of Critical Maintenance at UAlbany In Excess of $1 Billion
It is widely recognized that the physical infrastructure at the University at Albany has been largely neglected in terms of deferred maintenance over time. In fact, the vast majority of the University's 2.5 million square feet of academic space has not been renovated since original construction – more than 40 years ago for the uptown campus and over 75 years ago for the downtown campus. At present, the University at Albany has in excess of $1 billion in “deferred critical maintenance” needs according to a SUNY Construction Fund assessment – a direct consequence of New York State’s tremendous underinvestment over the years. As a result, this has had a devastating toll on the campus’ physical plant, resulting in a substantial backlog of critical maintenance projects.

SFY 2008-09 Critical Maintenance Request
The Governor’s SFY 2008-09 Executive Budget proposed “critical maintenance” funding for each campus. UAlbany was earmarked to receive $33.5 million per year or $167.5 million over five years. These monies will help address approximately 17% of the campus’ deferred maintenance backlog. The University is requesting this level of state investment for “critical maintenance” for the region’s only public research university within a 26-county radius of the City of Albany.