NASHVILLE - Cleveland State Community College cleared its first major hurdle in pursuing a $48.75 million campus upgrade, the largest since the two-year institution's creation a half century ago.
Tennessee Board of Regents members last week added the Cleveland State proposal for building renovations and possible replacement of a building to their recommended Fiscal Year 2017-2018 capital budget during members' quarterly meeting in Chattanooga.
"It's great news," said state Sen. Mike Bell, R-Riceville, a Cleveland State graduate who noted the community college is still using 1960s-era classrooms.
Rep. Kevin Brooks, R-Cleveland, said Cleveland State President Dr. Bill Seymour and other officials have put together a "wonderful capital plan."
But, he noted, "We've got a long ways to go, but I'm glad it's at least getting to see the light of day."
State Representative Kevin Brooks {CQ} speaks to the media near the intersection of U.S. 64 and I-75 on Thursday. State officials and TDOT officials held a meeting near the U.S. 64 bridge over I-75 at Exit 20 on Thursday to discuss plans for fixing the traffic problems at the intersection.In their recommendations for FY 2018, Regents this year divided capital projects under two headings, because the system will soon spin off its six four-year universities into a separate, self-governing board.
The 13 community colleges and 27 colleges of applied technology will remain under the board's system. And Cleveland State's proposal is ranked No. 9 among the nine community college or TCAT projects. Regents approved three university projects in other parts of the state.
Cleveland State's proposal, based on the college's master plan, will now face scrutiny from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission as that agency, which coordinates activities between the regents and University of Tennessee systems, prepares and eventually presents its budget recommendations to Gov. Bill Haslam.
Haslam would then have to sign off and make the improvements part of his recommendations next year to the General Assembly. And, of course, state lawmakers would have to approve that before anything could get moving.
And that all depends on the state's revenue outlook. But the state did wrap up its 2017 fiscal year with a $1 billion surplus, about half of which has already been recognized. The one-time money is often used for one-time expenditures like buildings and maintenance across state government.
In their Chattanooga meeting last Friday, the board approved $294.68 million in capital projects systemwide at community colleges and universities, as well as about $116 million in annual maintenance requests.
State Regent Tom Griscom of Chattanooga said that based on what Cleveland State President Seymour told him, "I'm not sure that since that campus was originally built that there's been any significant improvements."
The total amount for Cleveland State approved by the board is $48.75 million. State government would directly provide $43.87 million of that, while the estimated $4.88 million balance would come from other sources, including donors and Tennessee State School Bond Authority bonds.
Cleveland State says in its Community First Plan for 2020 that it wants to "provide state-of-the-art" learning environments for students.
Among other things, the plan calls for construction of a "new academic building to support health sciences on the main campus."
College leaders also want to implement "a facilities renovation and renewal process at the main campus" to bring Cleveland State's facilities condition scores to, at the very least, the board's minimum for community colleges.
Other elements of the plan call for establishing "a comprehensive system of technology connectivity that supports innovations in teaching, learning and student engagement."
Another list item: Renovate and refurnish classrooms and the college library to "facilitate innovations in teaching, learning and student engagement."
Dick Tracy, the Board of Regents head of facilities management, said Cleveland State "has not been renovated since they opened the campus," which was in 1967.
In some instances, he said, renovations can work. But in others it could prove more cost effective to simply replace a building.
"The places that needed work were labor and science spaces," Tracy recalled.
Contact staff writer Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-255-0550. Follow on Twitter@AndySher1.