Bernstine appeals to Legislature for repair funds

Portland State President Daniel Bernstine appealed to legislators in Salem Tuesday to approve Governor Kulongoski’s proposed budget that would provide $172 million to repair, restore and renovate buildings throughout the Oregon University System during the 2007-09 biennium.

The Subcommittee on Education of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means met Tuesday, and heard the testimonies of presidents from the University of Oregon, Western Oregon University and the Oregon Institute of Technology.

Lincoln Hall and Science Building 2, Bernstine said, are at the top of the list for major renovation. The subcommittee is planning to visit Portland State on Feb. 21 to tour the buildings and assess needed repairs.

Holding up a one-foot length of corroded and clogged pipe for the committee to see, Bernstine said, “This is the condition of the plumbing in Lincoln Hall, where the water and sewer pipes are failing.”

“I’ll come early for the tour,” said Representative Larry Galizio (D-Tigard), chair of the education committee. “I’ll need extra time to put on my protective gear.”

Lincoln Hall’s basement has been flooded in four feet of water, is seismically unsound, and contains asbestos in the roof and in duct insulation.

The funding for the building’s maintenance has been put off for years, and now requires $29 million to bring the building up to code. Under a conditional use permit with the city of Portland, the building is close to condemnation.

Science Building 2 needs $26 million to upgrade heating and cooling, re-vamp plumbing and ventilation and major electrical repairs.

A separate $19 million could be spent on a new hazardous waste facility in Science Building 2. The facility as it stands is against fire codes and was originally built to contain only offices.

Senator Richard Devlin (D), a Portland State alumnus, said he was confident that the funding for these projects would be approved.

“Science Building 2 is the number-one priority in the Oregon University System because it is so crucial,” said Devlin. “The projects presented today are all top priorities, so I believe that most of these will be approved because the need is so great.”

Not everyone was so optimistic.

George Pernsteiner, chancellor of the Oregon University System, made the final comments of the hearing.

“It is going to be tough,” Pernsteiner said. “We really have a definite need here. It is easy to convince people of the need for new buildings. It is much harder to generate the support for upgrading the older buildings like Science Building 2.”

The long-term plan, Pernsteiner said in response to a question from Senator Devlin, is to continue to chip away at the maintenance that has been put off over the years, for the next six biennia.

The amount of work that has been delayed in the state, according to Robert Simonton, director of capital construction, planning and budget, would cost $640 million to complete today. The 1,172 state-owned buildings have a current replacement value of $3.4 billion, and are used by 1,000 students, faculty and staff each year.

Half of the space was built between 1960 and 1975. There was no state building code before 1974, and seismic codes were updated in 1993.

“We are at a very vulnerable position,” said Pernsteiner. “We can’t be successful without these buildings in the 21st century.”