Dayton administration proposing nearly $460 million in state building fixes

The Dayton administration is proposing nearly $460 million in improvements and maintenance for state buildings and facilities. That’s about a third of the governor’s $1.5 billion bonding proposal and Minnesota Management and Budget Commissioner Myron Frans contends “this is a no frills bill that invests in the state’s current assets, ensuring that state workplaces are safe for employees, public buildings, bridges and parks are functional and open for business and most importantly it ensures that Minnesotans continue to receive the services that they need.” State officials estimate it could cost nearly $3 billion over the next decade to restore and maintain state government buildings and facilities. And about half of state buildings are currently considered to be in “fair” or worse condition. Frans warns “the alternative is to continue kicking the can down the road, ignoring the routine maintenance our aging state assets so desperately need and which will only get more expensive if we wait to repair them.” Opponents of the governor’s $1.5 billion bonding proposal say it’s too big. Among the state projects currently in need of repairs: Blue Mounds State Park, the Windom DNR building, the Faribault department of corrections and the department of military affairs at Grand Rapids.