Highlighting more than $300 million in investments for Minnesota’s public higher education institutions, Governor Tim Pawlenty today signed the 2006 bonding bill at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, home to a $26.6 million expansion included in the bill.
The bill contains just under $1 billion in building projects and will create thousands of jobs across the state while enhancing Minnesota’s quality of life. Of the total amount, $949 million will be general fund financed bonds, $50 million will be user-financed bonds and $1 million will be paid for with general funds.
“This bill contains many important projects that will help position our state for an even brighter future,” Governor Pawlenty said. “The bonding bill was reflective of the overall session – it was completed on time and with bipartisan cooperation. I’m pleased to put my signature on this bill and look forward to seeing these projects started soon.”
Highlights in the 2006 bonding bill include the final state payment of $60 million for the Northstar Commuter Rail Line from Minneapolis to Big Lake, $307 million for higher education facilities, $28 million for an expansion of Faribault prison, $44.6 million for expanded sex offender detention facilities at Moose Lake, $51 million for state and regional parks and trails, and $17.5 million for the Governor’s initiative to end chronic homelessness.
On Thursday, the Governor also visited Elk River at the location of one of the future stops of the Northstar line to ceremonially sign the bill. The rail line is projected to save over 890,000 commuter hours per year.
The package provides funding in five key quality-of-life areas; highlights are listed below:
Investments in Education - $328 million
University of Minnesota - $115.7 million
• $40 million for the state share of a new medical bioscience research building
• $26.6 million for new facilities for the Carlson School of Management
• $15.3 million for a new building for the Labovitz School of Business and Economics (Duluth campus)
• $30 million for higher education asset preservation and replacement (HEAPR), to maintain university facilities throughout the state
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities - $191.4 million
• $32.9 million for a new science addition to Trafton Hall at Minnesota State Mankato
• $11.2 million for renovation of Winona State University’s Maxwell Hall
• $14 million for a new addition to the Wick Science Building at St. Cloud State University
• $19.9 million for a new science and library building at Century College in White Bear Lake
• $18.9 million to renovate a nursing and allied health training center and to create a science lab and classroom facility at the Minneapolis Community and Technical College
• $12.4 million for a library addition and cultural center at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College in Cloquet
• $9.7 million for renovation of MacLean Hall at Minnesota State University Moorhead
• $40 million for higher education asset preservation and replacement (HEAPR), to maintain MnSCU facilities across the state
K-12 Education - $20.8 million
• $2.5 million for Minnesota State Academies including funding for asset preservation and renovation of Frechette Hall on the campus of the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf
• $1.05 million for asset preservation for the Perpich Center for Arts Education
• $10.7 million for additions and renovations to the Nett Lake school district’s facility
Water, Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources - $259.1 million
• $62.1 million for loans and grants for drinking water and wastewater treatment facility improvements
• $34 million to DNR for funds to acquire, develop and protect fish, wildlife and plant habitats
• $25 million for flood hazard mitigation projects in flood-prone areas of the state
• $15 million for the Minnesota Zoo • $9 million for new exhibits at the Como Zoo in St. Paul
• $14.8 million to deal with dangerous landfills for environmentally friendly methods of solid waste disposal through the Pollution Control Agency
• $11 million for state parks
• $26.4 million for metropolitan parks and trails
• $14 million for acquisition and development of state and regional trails and trail connections
• $5 million for acquisition and construction of fisheries, fishing piers and water fowl habitat structures
• $2.5 million for a Renewable Energy Clean Air Project in Koochiching County
• $1.5 million to upgrade Agriculture/Public Health laboratory to ensure that scientists can safely test for infectious diseases such as Bird Flu
Jobs, Housing and Transportation - $260.3 million
• $60 million to complete funding for the Northstar Commuter rail line
• $52.5 million for local bridge replacement and repair
• $17.5 million for permanent supportive housing to help solve the problem of chronic homelessness
• $15.3 million for business and redevelopment grants to communities around the state
• $8 million for the Rochester bioscience development center
• $7.8 million for preliminary engineering of the Central Corridor transitway between Minneapolis and St. Paul
• $6.1 million for Greater Minnesota business development infrastructure grants
• $5.6 million for urgent repairs to state and locally owned historic sites
• $5 million to continue work on the Cedar Avenue Transitway
• $3.3 million for construction of Park and Ride and passenger facilities on I-35W
• $12 million for infrastructure design to support new energy and steel plants in Itasca County – this funding replaces local support that might otherwise have come from the 21st Century Mineral Fund
• $2 million for land acquisition at the St. Cloud regional airport
• $3 million for Bemidji Events Center design
• $11 million for the Shubert Theater in Minneapolis
• $7.5 million for the Ordway Theater in St. Paul
• $11 million for the Southwest Regional Events Center in Marshall
Safer and Healthier Communities - $132.5 million
• $44.6 million for design and construction of the first phase of an expansion of the Minnesota Sex Offender Program at Moose Lake, including a 400 bed residential structure and treatment space for civilly committed individuals
• $28 million to continue expansion and renovation of the Faribault prison
• $19.6 million to provide a new, high security 150 bed segregation unit at Stillwater prison
• $14.5 million for system wide improvements to regional treatment centers, including security upgrades, asset preservation, maintenance and campus reuse and redevelopment efforts
• $6 million for system wide asset preservation to ensure that Veterans Homes facilities are properly maintained
• $5.3 million for 92 beds for female offenders at Shakopee prison
• $5 million for system wide asset preservation
Effective Government and Public Services - $20.1 million
• $7.5 million for asset preservation and hazard reduction projects at armories and military training facilities
• $11.4 million for asset preservation projects in various state-owned buildings, including $2.4 million to restore the State Capitol dome and continue design work to restore the Capitol building
For more details visit the Department of Finance website at http://www.finance.state.mn.us/.
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