Schools Betting Big on Bio Tech
By K. Robert Wendel

State legislatures, especially in Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada are betting big on biotechnology and science projects at their universities.

On-campus housing stock is also a focus of funding, with plans at several universities to upgrade or replace aging residence halls.

Arizona universities have a host of new projects under way or on the boards. In September, the Arizona Board of Regents gave the state's construction industry a shot in the arm with the announcement of $600 million in renovations and new construction at the state's three universities. Arizona State University was a big winner with $317 million for its eight campuses.

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Projects approved at ASU include: Interdisciplinary Life Sciences and Technology Building, $74 million; Geosciences and Materials Building, $18 million; ASU East research building, $12 million; Arizona Biomedical Collaborative, $10 million; new business school, $80 million; instructional research laboratory renovations, $10 million; extended campus capital and infrastructure upgrades, $7 million; and heat and power project for $211 million.

Work is already under way on the 170,000-sq.-ft. Biodesign Institute. The $50 million building will provide lab and office space for cutting-edge research in areas such as neural rehabilitation, genomics, molecular biophysics, edible vaccines and bio-optics and bioscience.

Gould Evans Associates of Phoenix designed the project, which is being constructed by a joint venture between DPR Construction and Sundt Construction, both of Arizona.
The team recently won the second phase of the biodesign center with an estimated $70 million construction price. Both are construction-manager-at-risk projects.

"Along with the research pieces you are seeing out there, we are also seeing a lot of work in the student housing market," said Jay Silverberg of Gould Evans Associates.
"Campuses are developing housing projects that allow the university to compete with the apartment market. We see a big spike in the housing in a number of campus across the country and here in Phoenix."

In January, the regents approved funding for the design of a new arts and business district gateway and a south campus village for ASU. The business district site consists of approximately 13 acres of ASU-owned land at the southeast corner of Mill Avenue and University Drive in Tempe.

A third party will develop the project. Funding was also approved for renovations, deferred maintenance and infrastructure improvements.

ASU East recently kicked off construction on a new student union designed to be the hub of student life at the campus in east Mesa. The 27,000-sq.-ft. facility will include recreational game-room space, study areas, modern dining facilities, workspace for student organizations, campus bookstore, and multipurpose meeting space.

The project budget is $5.4 million. Gould Evans Associates designed the state-of-the-art facility. The building's general contractor is Turner Construction of Phoenix and the estimated completion is in August.

At the University of Arizona in Tucson, nearly $300 million in state funds have been allocated for a variety of projects focused mainly on biotechnology.

Ground broke on Nov. 7 for the $130 million construction of three new biotech buildings. The U of A's capital expansion plan was recently approved by the Arizona Board of Regents, with $150 million for new projects the first year and $29.5 million for building renewal.

Three projects approved are the Arizona State Museum renovation & Expansion, the UA Science Center, and the ENR II.

The U of A also approved and selected GLHN Architects & Engineers, Inc. and Lloyd Construction Co. Inc. of Tucson to provide design and construction services for the $25 million Residential Life Building Renewal project.

The multi-phase, multi-year project will extend the useful life of 10 university residence halls that have begun to have system failures. Areas to be addressed include replacement of mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, and renovation of bathrooms.

Space conversions in some dorms will also allow for an increase in resident capacity.
The project will use the construction-manager-at-risk delivery method and follow an accelerated, 170-day construction schedule during summer breaks.

The U of A also has received approval for an initial $2.2 million to construct an addition to the College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture for a total estimated project cost of $8.2 million. The Board of Regents also approved a request for $18 million to build the 1,500-space Highland Avenue Parking Structure.

In November, the Tucson City Council approved $20 million of a $100 million tab for the construction of a new science center in a joint venture between the city and the U of A. On Jan. 23, the regents followed up with their portion, approving $72 million.

The ambitious project would span Interstate-10 with a bridge, linking downtown Tucson with the west side of the freeway. The center would be a state-of-the-art science facility. Food vendors, retail shops and art displays would be constructed on the bridge, which planners said would be enclosed and air-conditioned. A 1,000-space parking garage and possibly a new arena are also planned for the downtown area.

"Our expectation is to start turning dirt in January 2006 after two years of planning and design," said Karen Thoreson, Tucson assistant city manager.

Community Colleges Have Big Plans but Need New Bonding

On the community college level in Arizona, the Maricopa Community School District, one of the fastest-growing community college districts in the nation, is wrapping up on a 10-year bond program with the construction of two new projects.

At the Paradise Valley campus, the district tapped architects van Dijk, Westlake Reed Leskosky and general contractor Holder Construction for a new $6.6 million performing arts facility. Work is expected to begin this spring.

In Scottsdale, Gould Evans Associates and Concord Construction are finishing design on a classroom building for the community college valued at $1.5 million. Both are construction-manager-at-risk >> projects. All the firms are from Phoenix.

The district is cautiously eyeing a November bond question for more than $900 million, but the fate of the proposed reinstatement of the Maricopa County transportation tax for new freeways and light rail could derail a November offering, district officials said.

"We are looking ahead at a lot of large projects, including five new education centers and a skills center in addition to work at the main campuses," said Arlen Solochek, the district's manager of facilities planning and development. "The district has 10 campuses, so we will have new construction, remodeling and site work at every one of the existing campuses."

At the Pima Community College in Tucson, officials are looking to the future with a new master plan. The college recently finished a new, $5 million performing arts center at the Green Valley campus south of Tucson and plans phase two in the near future.

"We are in the long-range planning process right now, so things are on hold," said Krista Neis, a Pima College spokesperson. "From that standpoint, there are no major projects going on at this point, and when we get active again, I don't know."

In Nevada, the Community College of Southern Nevada experienced a 9.5 percent one-year total enrollment growth at its three campuses. It's the fastest growing college within the state, subsequently sparking a series of new projects. At the Cheyenne campus, for example, CCSN is constructing the new $14.7 million, 82,000-sq.-ft. telecommunications building opening this fall. Martin-Harris Construction and JMA Architects teamed to deliver the LEED certified building under a design-build contract.
Across town at the Charleston Campus, work has started on the new $17 million, 85,400-sq.-ft. Health Sciences Nursing building.

In Nevada, Growth Creates Challenges, Opportunities

In Nevada, it's all about keeping up with the growth. At the University of Nevada, Las Vegas' enrollment increased by 18.5 percent in the last year alone to 24,965 students. The university has built 15 new facilities, acquired three more and renovated six buildings since 1995. It's currently in the middle of a multi-year, $175 million construction program.

"We currently have more than 15 projects underway over $10 million in value, plus another dozen under that amount," says Susan Hobbes, UNLV's director of planning and construction.

Among the projects is the new $13.89 million, 89,241-sq.-ft. John S. Wright Hall, which consists of three parallel buildings housing the anthropology, history and political science departments as well as graduate assistants. It's slated for completion Nov. 10. There's also the $75 million, 190,000-sq.-ft. Science, Engineering and Technology Building designed by Dekker Perich Holmes Sabatini, scheduled to finish in 2007. In addition, Clark & Sullivan Constructors is building a $21 million, 103,000-sq.-ft. residence hall opening in August.

"The higher education market is very busy with a lot of activity primary at the community college level," said architect Tom Schoeman of JMA Architecture in Las Vegas. "There is more demand at community college level than higher education, but both are under demand to provide new facilities for students."

In Reno, the University of Nevada recently wrapped up a new dormitory project and is looking to the future. The university has some funding to begin design work on a new, 350,000-sq.-ft., $66 million library at their Reno campus. Other planned projects include a new bio tech center valued at $70 million and a math and science center for approximately $75 million. But funding from the state will be the key, said school officials.

"We are short on funding at least in terms of state funding," said Gary Bishop, director of facilities planning and analysis at University of Nevada-Reno."

Funding Slow in New Mexico

In New Mexico, parts of the $130 million, 475,000-sq.-ft. Children's Hospital and critical care area at the University of New Mexico are starting to enter the pipeline. The Pavilion will house UNM Children's Hospital and operating rooms; neonatal intensive care unit; children's emergency department; adult emergency department, urgent care and trauma; adult critical care; and the women's birthing center, postpartum service and well baby nursery.

Other big-ticket projects include a 180,000-sq.-ft. second phase of the Cancer Research Facility. The freestanding, multilevel building has a projected budget of $37.8 million, but no funding has yet been allocated. UNM is also planning a new, 130,000-sq.-ft. research institute. Planning, design and construction are estimated at $40 million, but is not funded.

"I think there is a lot of work out there, it's just not funded yet," said Marc Schiff, a principal with Albuquerque's DSCW Inc.

Farther south in Socorro, N.M., New Mexico Tech is gearing up for a $50 million telescope project on the Magdalena Ridge in the Cibola National Forest. The multi array, 2.4-meter lens also features an infra barometer, with both perched on a 10,400 ft. ridge. Builders must contend with a short building season as well as extremely tight tolerances. Work is expected to start on the first phase this spring, with an unnamed contractor improving a road to the site. Construction on the telescope should start in early 2005.

"It's a really fascinating project," said NMT project manager Pierce Howell. "The scope is enormous and the precision and difficulty of doing this on this scale will require construction techniques and precision unheard of."