Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

State Environmental Bond Bill Includes $37.5 Million for UMass Amherst Projects

  • 08/18/14

AMHERST, MA — Gov. Deval Patrick has signed legislation that authorizes the borrowing of $1.9 billion for environmental projects statewide, including $37.5 million at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and two university-run sites in eastern Massachusetts.

UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble R. Subbaswamy says, “This is a new source of funding that will enhance the university’s ability to serve communities across the Commonwealth. I want to thank Governor Patrick and our local delegation — Senator Stan Rosenberg and Representatives Ellen Story, John Scibak, Steve Kulik and Peter Kocot — for their support. As the Commonwealth’s flagship campus, we are committed to protect and improve the environment for the next generation of Massachusetts citizens.”

The legislation allows the state to borrow money for a host of projects over four years. As funds become available, they will provide for significant improvements on the Amherst campus, modernize facilities at the Cranberry Experiment Station in East Wareham and create in Waltham a new UMass Amherst Center for Urban Sustainability at the former agriculture extension farm. Details of the borrowing authorization include:

  • $20 million to transform the 58-acre site Waltham site along Beaver Street to focus on urban agriculture, food safety and sustainability. Plans for the Boston-area project call for an eco-friendly building to house classrooms, conference space, offices and room for private groups that will cultivate community gardens. The site will also be used for research into alternative energy and water and food systems. Steve Goodwin, dean of the College of Natural Sciences, said UMass Amherst was awaiting approval of the funding before making detailed plans with an emphasis on creating the smallest carbon footprint possible. UMass Amherst was strongly supported by legislators from the Waltham area, including state Sen. Michael Barrett and Reps. Thomas Stanley and John Lawn.
  • $4 million for water quality innovation to support the work of David Reckhow, a professor of civil and environmental engineering. The money will help fund testing and pilot facilities for water technology at sites in Massachusetts.
  • $5 million for technology and space upgrades for the Stockbridge School of Agriculture at UMass Amherst. The money will fund infrastructure and technology upgrades to link the Stockbridge School through teleconferencing with community colleges and vocational schools across the state.
  • $5.5 million for the UMass Cranberry Station in East Wareham. The money will be used for design, construction, retrofitting and outfitting laboratory space and equipment. The goal is to reduce the environmental impact of work at the station and improve the sustainability of cranberry production in Massachusetts.
  • $3 million to help construct a new Integrated Design Building at UMass Amherst. This 87,000-square-foot building will be constructed using wood frame construction rather than steel frame construction and will serve as a showcase for the Building Construction Technology group at UMass Amherst. The total cost of the building will be $53 million, with construction set to begin in March 2015 and completion by January 2017.

Featured

  • College of the Desert Hits Construction Milestone on New Campus

    College of the Desert recently announced that the construction of its new Palm Springs Campus in Palm Springs, Calif., recently reached a major construction milestone, according to a news release. The college is partnering with general contractor C.W. Driver Companies, which recently “topped out” the facility by placing the final beam in its structure.

  • Photo credit - Chuck Coates

    Florida District Modernizes Central Energy Plants at Two High Schools

    Flagler Schools, a public school district in Flagler County, Fla., recently partnered with Matern Professional Engineering to modernize the central energy plants at two of its high schools, according to a news release. The project is part of a larger, district-wide effort to reduce energy costs and operational expenses.

  • How a Portable Sink Helped an Art Classroom Run More Smoothly

    Classroom design decisions can have outsized effects on instructional time and safety at schools juggling mismatched infrastructure, strict budgets, and crowded schedules — particularly in the arts. Between spilled paint and dirty brushes, art classes run smoother with a sink in the studio. But many schools don’t have a sink in every art classroom.

  • South Carolina District Starts Construction on $50M Middle School Renovation

    The Aiken County Public School District in North Augusta, S.C., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the $50-million renovation and expansion of North Augusta Middle School, according to a news release. The project’s funding comes from the 2024 renewal of a one-cent sales tax approved by local voters.