The University of New Mexico breaks ground for its UNM-West Phase I building on Friday, Feb. 6 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at the construction site, northeast of the Rio Rancho City Hall, 3001 Civic Center NE in Rio Rancho. A reception will follow. The public is invited to attend.
Representing UNM and speaking at the event will be President David J. Schmidly; Marc Nigliazzo, vice president for Rio Rancho Operations and Branch Campus Academic Affairs; and Regent President Jamie Koch. Speakers will also include Rio Rancho Mayor Tom Swisstack and Phillip Bustos, representing CNM. Other state, county and community leaders are expected to be present, as well as student, faculty and staff leaders from UNM.
“This event will celebrate the fulfillment of UNM’s commitment to the community of Rio Rancho to expand the UNM presence on the West Side. It is something they have wanted for a long time,” Nigliazzo said.
The Phase I building will provide space for classrooms, a small bookstore, a food service area, office space for student support, and for the UNM Medical Group as they prepare for construction of a hospital at the UNM-West campus site. Nigliazzo said the building will also house a “learning commons,” providing library support and study space for students.
“In addition, the building will house office space for faculty, almost all of whom are currently adjunct, but we are looking forward to having some full-time faculty presence in the future,” Nigliazzo said.
The 42,000 sq. ft. two-story building will sit on an eight and one-half acre site, master planned to ensure that future buildings will be appropriately sited around a shared parking lot. The building will be a half mile from CNM’s first Rio Rancho building, with a new road connecting the two campuses with the Rio Rancho City Hall.
“The road will provide easy access between UNM and CNM for students who may be attending classes at both campus sites,” Nigliazzo said. Estimated construction cost of the Phase I building is $10.5 million.
Sandia Foundation is financing the construction, according to Nigliazzo, with plans being developed for UNM to purchase the facility post-construction. The initial infrastructure costs of approximately $860,000 are being paid by the City of Rio Rancho, as well as half the cost for purchasing the building. Funding is being provided from a gross receipt tax that citizens of Rio Rancho voted upon themselves in 2007 to support development of UNM-West. “The total commitment from Rio Rancho for this project will exceed $8 million,” Nigliazzo said.
“The Rio Rancho City Center will soon be booming with activity,” Nigliazzo said, noting that ground was recently broken for a 200,000+ sq. ft. Hewlett Packard facility where 1,300-1,500 will eventually be employed.
Construction of the first CNM building should begin later in the year, with plans still being developed for the UNM Sandoval County Regional Medical Center, also to be constructed at the UNM-West campus site.
“This represents an incredible opportunity for the West Side and for Sandoval County. It will in time have regional and statewide impact,” Nigliazzo said. “And although I realize, we are facing financial challenges, we must continue to build for the future. I have great admiration for the community of Rio Rancho in their determination to shape their own future. They have pushed long and hard for a UNM presence in Rio Rancho. The University has offered selected instructional programming on the West Side since the late 1980’s, but we are now confirming UNM’s commitment to develop a campus for the future.”
“The first building will become an incubator to both encourage and support the determination of which courses and programs are appropriate for UNM-West. These are not decisions I’ll be making, but rather the departments, schools and colleges of the University, both Health Sciences and Main Campus,” Nigliazzo said.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Posted by scarr at February 4, 2009 04:56 PM