Letter to the Editor
TVC repairs
Published Wednesday, April 2, 2008
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To the editor:
Some legislators have expressed concern that capital outlays lead to higher operating costs. In many cases that is true, but in others, capital funding actually reduces operating costs. The university request for $8 million to upgrade the exterior of the Tanana Valley Campus Center on Barnette Street is one such project.
Eight years ago, Tanana Valley Campus needed additional space to meet the training and education demands of the 21st century. Our community needed more health care professionals, more computer technicians, more process technology specialists, more construction workers and workers in numerous other fields representing 75 percent of the jobs available to Alaska’s work force. We needed room to grow to meet these challenges.
Fortunately, the old courthouse on Barnette Street became available and we were able to purchase this 75,000-square- foot building for $1. We understood, as did the Legislature, that there would be future costs to renovate this 40-year-old building and they made a down payment of $1 million to allow immediate renovations. Two years ago they authorized an additional $3 million to meet some critical needs such as electrical upgrades and elevator repairs.
This year we requested $8 million to replace the R4 walls of a 1960s-era building with more energy-efficient exterior shell meeting today’s construction norms. We received the approval of the board of regents, and our project was included in the governor’s capital request.
This needed project will reduce operating costs. Just imagine the cost today of heating a building with R4 walls and single-pane windows. The money we spend on energy actually reduces the funds available to train Alaska’s workforce.
Our request has the support of local government leaders, the business community, and local labor organizations. It is priority project for the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the Chamber of Commerce, and the members of TVC’s Community Advisory Council. We hope the Legislature will recognize that some projects are investments in Alaska’s future and will actually reduce operating costs. It’s time to bring the Tanana Valley Campus Center building up to the same 21st century standards that we demand of our students.
Community Discussion
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Why is that price so high compared to houses? Millions???
Why don't you abandon ship and take over say one of the many unoccupied buildings in town that are up to 21st Century Standards? SAy the old KMART building, or what about the abandoned FREDDIES on College or the abandoned CARRS Foodland...ACCESS ALaska is there...maybe TVC should be too. I think it's ridiculous to spend this kind of money on this building....and I'm sure the students would prefer quality education over the rising costs of rennovating a bad decision gone awry.
I could use some windows and I am already a part of the Alaskan workforce - you don't even have to train me....
Better yet - pay a bit of my fuel oil bill!
Sooo - think maybe I could get a loan - a slice of some o dat pork?
OneVoice, do you really think those buildings can be acquired for $1? Are they ready to provide classroom space? I seem to recall KMart and Fred Meyers as being big, open buildings. To provide classes, interior walls would have to be built, bathrooms would have to be installed, and so on.
I find it ironic how much people complain about the cost of providing education, including post-secondary education, but whine and moan about people who don't work and are on unemployment or welfare. We can't have it both ways. And living in a climate such as ours, safe, energy-efficient buildings are necessary. I mean, by the way of thinking I've seen all over these News Miner comments, I guess we should just shut down the school district and the university, home school our kids in our log cabins without running water and stop driving, because TVC is training students to be oil workers, childcare providers and teachers, small business owners, and other important and necessary workers in our community.
Look at it this way -- that $8 million will benefit thousands of students over the years. It's not a hand-out, it's not money that will just benefit a few.
I agree with inch worm.The old courthouse is already subdivided into many rooms.it wouldn`t work as well in a open floor plan.curtains probably wouldn`t work.
The room comments really don't apply to this article since the 8 mil is going to replace the R4 walls...tis an EXTERIOR upgrade only.
So we spent 1 mil to make it partially usable - 3 mil for upgrades...
and then 8 mil for the exterior....
wouldnt it be better to have spent the 8mil inside and maybe a mil on the walls outside if possible??? a mil is a hell of a lot of cedar siding and spray foam :)
I am a healthcare professional trained in classrooms on the new TVC campus. Had I not been able to get my degree here in Fairbanks in healthcare, I would have gone into some other field, and the hospital would have had to hire outside workers to do my job at a higher, compensating wage. I took most of my classes in the old courthouse. It does not need much interior work, the building came with classroom sized rooms. It came pretty much perfectly equipped to be a classroom.
As for the exterior, we obviously have no alternative other than to replace the insulation and windows. I don't see how anyone can think that R4 walls would ever be sufficient. Of course they need to be replaced. Should it cost 8 million? I don't know, but has anyone insulated their house lately? I have, and it was very expensive.
Also, as a side note, the WAL MART building is not vacant. It is being used.
How about we put the 8 mil in the bank in a cd and use the interest to pay the heating bill....300-400k a year should be enough for heat?
those cans of spray foam at home depot are 5 bucks each - we could use about 200,000 cans and shape the exterior like a giant bowling ball for a million...
8 mil just 'seems' high...probably not when you consider all the 10% markups and over-runs/change orders/DCVRs that occur in a typical University project.
It is a nice building, though, and the first renovation looked great.
Hey inchWORM- I'd bet just about any "Home Schooled" kid could tackle your ideas with good old common cents. Have you seen the latest accedemic analysis of our educational system? OOOHHH Impressive! Now I am not qualified to home school, nor do I have the dicipline. I went to public school and dropped out of college; Too many worms. I do however have a few family members that are "professional students" that do not contribute much more to society than repeating philosophical quotes from people that were home schooled in homes with no running water.
My point is this.... Way too much emphasis is placed on cosmetics versis function. If you spent $280,000 per year in heating... $8 mil would last almost 29 years. Now invest $8 mil at 3.5%. Yearly of dividend $280,000 Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Come on, am I in LA LA Land? I want to know. It just seems absurd.
A low bid to insulate and side a 2,000 square foot home is 15K..for plastic and foam. Same house was 12K for windows. 27K for one small house. Though unfortunate...price does not seem far off for commercial windows, insulation, etc on a 5 story 75K square foot building. Perspective needs to change from our ideals of the past to what is reflective of todays markets and costs....whether we like it or not. We made fun of our last generation for the same train of thought.
Ok - by your numbers which confused me somewhat we will assume
75k ft2 per floor x 5 floors = 375000 ft2
375000 ft2 / 2000 ft2 = 187.5 (so 187.5 of these homes would fit in the building?)
So - even though the building is just getting walls and not windows we will use your figure of 27,000 bucks for every 2000ft2
187.5 x 27000 bucks = a little over 5 mil. Add a mil for good measure and better materials + the window credit from your comparison and it is still under 8 mil.
dumb example on my part - surely so - I don't think it makes sense either...was just trying to demonstrate that even when using the last comment's numbers the price is still below the 8mil with all things being somewhat equal and a mil or two added for good measure...
whats a mil between friends anyway
"whats a mil between friends anyway"
Not much, and it would surely be a better investment than handing it out to the general populace to spend as they please.
Sticker shock sure is a bitch. It is the reason so many homes run on antiquated boilers running at 50-60% efficiency rather than replacing them with 90% efficient units that can recoup the initial investment cost within several years.
Tinpan, I have nothing against home schooling, just as I have nothing against living without running water (have done it) or not driving if it works for you (other things I mentioned in my comment). But you know, we are where we are in our society, and public education is pretty standard, running water is generally a pretty healthy choice that most of us appreciate, and most of us require the use of a gas-powered vehicle at some time or other.
But it is always nice to be attacked in public for expressing a simple opinion. Hope you have a good day! :)
starsandstripes the building OneVoice is refering to is the old empty K-MART building off Airport Road by Sears, not that monstrosity over off Old Steese :o)
Sorry I used the wrong name. The old K-Mart building is being used.
ak guy The rooms comment dose apply when someone is talking about an open span bldg. (k-mart) compared to a office bldg.(classrooms).
Does
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