Rep. Bill Brawley (R-Mecklenburg and 1978 UNC Charlotte alumnus) championed the annual infrastructure bill that was signed into law on Monday, July 7, which will fund construction projects at six UNC system campuses, including UNC Charlotte.
Betty Doster, special assistant to the chancellor for constituent relations, expressed appreciation for Rep. Bill Brawley.
“He sponsored this legislation and led the successful efforts resulting in passage of a bill that is important to the growth of our campus. The University is grateful for his support and commitment to higher education in North Carolina. With Governor Pat McCrory's signature on Monday, the bill so now law."
UNC Charlotte will issue bonds to finance $129 million to complete four non-appropriated capital improvements that University leaders have identified as critical to campus growth.
“While some schools are seeing their numbers decline, demand for UNC Charlotte is growing dramatically in parallel to the Charlotte region’s rapid population increase,” wrote Chancellor Philip L. Dubois in an op-ed published in the Charlotte Business Journal.
During the past five years, growth at UNC system institutions has totaled about 6,800 students; UNC Charlotte is responsible for 48 percent of that growth. Since 2005, applications for enrollment at the University have increased nearly 80 percent, and are up almost 8 percent in the last year.
The new construction will advance the evolution of UNC Charlotte as a residential campus and will continue to provide construction-related jobs in the region, said John Bland, director of public relations, who added the investment will further strengthen the greater Charlotte area and the University for years to come.
A student fee increase of $50, beginning with the 2014-15 academic year, will support the bond issuance and repayment of the infrastructure projects and housing rents for the residence halls; neither tuition nor taxpayer monies were appropriated for these projects, which are:
New Residence Hall ($49,000,000)
- This proposed project will construct a 400-plus bed residence hall in South Village that will house both freshmen and upper-class students, along with the University's Honors College and Levine Scholars Program.
Campus Infrastructure Development Phase II ($46,000,000)
- This project will include renovations of aging infrastructure of Burson, the University's chemistry/physics building, modernization of infrastructure in several aging buildings in the core of campus, continued improvements to Wi-Fi, road improvements and water, electrical and telecom lines.
Elm, Maple and Pine Renovations ($18,550,000)
- The Elm, Maple and Pine complex is a 252-bed student residence facility built in 1987. Renovations will update the mechanical, electrical, information technology and plumbing systems and modernize the interiors.
Sanford Hall Renovation ($19,000,000)
- Sanford Hall is a 500-bed residence facility built in 1969. Renovations will bring the facility up to current building code with work focusing on plumbing, electrical and elevator upgrades.
Housing and residence life (HRL) officials expect the University to house 5,383 students on campus this fall. Completion of the housing master plan calls for campus housing eventually to accommodate roughly 7,000 students.
Other Legislative News:
At the time of this publication, we are nearing the end of the legislative process and looking forward to the final outcomes of the 2014 session, however, the final budget still has not passed. It is expected that the budget will pass in the next two weeks. As soon as that occurs, UNC Charlotte alumni and friends will receive an official update on the status of our priorities, which remain employee salary increases and funding for enrollment growth, our Big Data initiative and a new science building. For additional information on these priorities, read Chancellor Phil Dubois’ viewpoint in the Charlotte Business Journal and this article that previously appeared in SYC.
If you would like more details on the legislative process, contact Betty Doster.