Included in Gov. Bobby Jindal’s capital outlay funding request for the Capital Region in the coming fiscal year are funds for several major projects at Baton Rouge’s higher education institutions.
The funding proposal, released today, includes $12.8 million to renovate the old engineering shops at LSU’s art department. The department’s work area has been in need of significant repairs for years, and in fall 2013 a more than 100-pound chunk of concrete came tumbling down from the ceiling. No one was injured.
Also included in Jindal’s capital outlay request for the fiscal year that begins July 1 is $25 million for the Patrick F. Taylor Hall renovation and expansion on the LSU campus. The state has pledged to contribute a 50% share of the $110 million project. As Daily Report noted back in March, the project is behind schedule due to a contract dispute.
If approved by lawmakers, Jindal’s capital outlay spending would also include $11.5 million for Baton Rouge Community College’s automotive training center that’s to be included in the forthcoming Ardendale mixed-use development.
Southern University would benefit from $500,000 in capital outlay funds to make upgrades to the Lab School on campus under Jindal’s plan. The university would also receive $2.7 million to provide localized boilers and replace the chilled water loop on campus. Another $1 million would fund the repair of a ravine at Southern, and $680,000 would go toward fire detection and alarm system upgrades on campus.
See Jindal’s complete capital outlay funding requests for Capital Region projects, which also includes a total of $40 million for the ongoing effort to rehabilitate the LSU lakes.
