Construction on campus nears $900 million
Two University of New Mexico building projects have won awards from the New Mexico chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP). UNM President David J. Schmidly sees these awards as emblematic of a campus in transition - one that has made great strides over the past five years in providing space for its academic, research and patient care missions.
The NAIOP awards, announced Dec. 14 in Albuquerque, recognize excellence in eight different categories. The first phase of the Domenici Center for Health Sciences Education was recognized in the Public category, while the UNM Children’s Hospital was recognized in the Medical Facility category.
Since 2002, there has been $879 million in building projects on the UNM campus - $298 million have been on the central campus, $362 million at Health Sciences and $93 million at Athletics, with the balance consisting of projects at our branch campuses or for infrastructure that benefits all campuses.
Schmidly notes that new buildings, like Architecture and Planning, and building renovation have significantly improved the learning experience of UNM students. At the same time, patient care and research are greatly enhanced with the new hospital and cancer centers.
“There is also a parallel impact in the New Mexico economy,” said Schmidly “Every dollar UNM spends is multiplied many times over in construction wages and materials procurement.”
At their December meeting, UNM regents approved a $136.7 million institutional bond issue that will renovate academic classroom space, expand parking and continue improvements to University Stadium and the Pit.
“We’ve had to become more self-sufficient when it comes to our building needs,” said Schmidly. “We greatly appreciate what the State has been able to do for us, but the needs of New Mexico are great and its funds are limited. In order to move projects forward that will directly impact and engage faculty and students, we’ve had to issue institutional bonds.” Schmidly added that state and independent audits both show the university being financially stable and fiscally sound.