DENVER For Fort Lewis College, Tuesday was a case of ask and you shall not receive.
Two senior Fort Lewis leaders visited the Legislatures Capital Development Committee and presented a five-year wish list for construction projects, topped by their desire to finally finish rebuilding the aging Berndt Hall.
We dont have any realistic belief were going to get funded for it this year, said Steve Schwartz, vice president for finance and administration.
But the visit to the committee that helps decide which state construction projects get funded first was not a waste of time, said FLC President Dene Thomas.
We have to keep these projects before the Capital Development Committee so when times do turn around, they are aware and understand our needs, Thomas said.
Berndt Hall is stretching into a multi-decade affair. Phase two of the three-part project was hung up at the Legislature for nearly 10 years. Money from mineral leasing at the height of the gas boom finally paid for the project.
Now, Fort Lewis wants $27 million from the state to knock down and rebuild the last part of the science and engineering building.
But Fort Lewis is halfway down Gov. John Hickenloopers wish list of 52 projects, and its unlikely the state will have enough money next year to fund more than a few items.
A more immediate problem is the maintenance backlog on campus. Schwartz said the college needs $40 million to upgrade buildings to state standards.
Fort Lewis has been spending $750,000 to $1 million a year on upkeep, but administrators say they need more.
Most boilers on campus are operating well beyond their expected lifespans, and that worries Thomas, who dealt with a boiler breakdown at a residence hall at her previous college in Idaho.
Boilers dont go out in July. Boilers go out in January, Thomas said.
Administrators plan to bring a $9.5 million maintenance plan to the Board of Trustees on Friday. Two-thirds of the spending can be recouped through energy savings, Schwartz said.
Reach Joe Hanel at joeh@cortezjournal.com.
