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Maryland state officials voted at Wednesday’s Board of Public Works meeting to move ahead with plans to demolish and rebuild the University of Maryland president’s residence at a price of about $7.2 million. Built in 1956 and last renovated more than 10 years ago, the 5,600-square-foot house in College Park does not meet safety codes, is not handicapped-accessible, is laden with asbestos-containing materials and is generally in need of serious repair, said Jim Stirling, procurement director at the University of Maryland College Park.
University presidents’ wives have been hiding the flaws from the thousands of guests that come through for events, but the problems cannot be easily tucked away anymore, said Vice President of University Relations Brodie Remington.
But the $7.2 million going toward the 14,000-square-foot combination residence and event facility replacing it provides a stark contrast to the cost-cutting efforts being made in other areas of the university, state Comptroller Peter Franchot said.
Franchot pointed to the university’s announcement that it will cut six sports — men’s tennis, men’s track and field, women’s acrobatics and tumbling, water polo and men’s and women’s swimming and diving — unless those sports receive enough money before the end of the fiscal year on June 30 to support themselves. For some sports, like swimming and diving, the obstacle to another year amounts to $11.6 million, while others, like men’s track, have to fill a $4.1 million gap.
The university also raised in-state tuition 3 percent and out-of state tuition 5 percent in June.
“This just strikes me as really an unfortunate project given the [economic] climate,” Franchot told Remington. “I would urge you to reconsider this because it doesn’t look good.”
The $7.2 million will be paid for by donations to the University of Maryland College Park Foundation, and the majority of those donations are designated specifically for the project, Remington said. Though the university has raised a meager $2,300 — less than 0.01 percent — of the total $25.2 million needed to save the at-risk sports, according to the website set up to track the fundraising, the funds for the “University House” project cannot be transferred to the cause.
Remington also insisted that University House will more than pay for itself in a few years.
With about 10,000 square feet of public space, the new University House will host about 100 events a year, including donor-oriented fundraising events where the foundation raises money for causes like scholarships and athletics, Remington estimated. The foundation expects to substantially improve upon the $105 million raised in fiscal 2011, he said.
The vote was 2-1, with state Treasurer Nancy Kopp and Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown — who filled in for Gov. Martin O’Malley — supporting the effort and Franchot against it.
