The University of Minnesota is asking state lawmakers to authorize 232 million dollars in bonds for construction projects at the “U” — 200 million of it for building maintenance. President Eric Kaler says, “We have billions of dollars of backlog maintenance at the University of Minnesota: 29 million square feet of space, and not all of it is in great condition.”
The University is asking for 28 million dollars to renovate and expand the 1913-vintage Child Development Building on the Twin Cities campus, and 4.3 million dollars to modernize A.B. Anderson Hall in Duluth. Bonding bills have usually been considered only in even-numbered years, but state lawmakers have relaxed that restriction in recent times.