Jan. 23, 2001--
Utah Valley State College is seeking support from lawmakers for a proposed $19 million classroom building.
Val Peterson, UVSC's chief lobbyist, said the three-story structure could accommodate 7,000 students a day.
"In order for us to take the students who want to attend, we need this building," Peterson said.
The proposal is in Gov. Mike Leavitt's list of budget recommendations, which urges the Legislature to use $102 million of the state's $700 million surplus to fund six new buildings at college campuses.
Those include engineering buildings at Utah State University and the University of Utah, classrooms at UVSC and College of Eastern Utah, a building for the education department at Southern Utah University, and construction at Weber State University's Davis campus.
If UVSC's plans go through, an under-construction $31 million technology building, which will give the school 22 classrooms and 19 labs, will open its doors a few months before work on the proposed classroom building begins.
Peterson said the new 118,000-square-foot building would be constructed south of the student center. It could be open by fall 2004.
(Copyright 2001 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
