Governor's capital investment plan includes U's Physics and Nano Building
Contact:
Daniel Wolter, University News Service, wolter@umn.edu, (612) 624-5551
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (01/31/2011)—Gov. Mark Dayton released his recommendations for $1 billion in state-backed construction projects, including $51.3 million for a new Experimental Physics and Nanotechnology Building at the University of Minnesota. The governor specifically outlined $531 million in projects and wants the Legislature to select $470 in additional projects to make up the bill.
This is the second time the governor's office has supported state funding for the physics and nanotechnology building. The 2010 bonding priorities supported by then governor Tim Pawlenty featured the building, but only $4 million in planning money was included in the final bill passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Pawlenty.
University of Minnesota President Bob Bruininks praised Dayton's recommendation for a new physics and nanotechnology building.
“Challenging budget times mean it’s more important than ever that the investments we do make are smart and benefit Minnesota’s economy. A strong physics program is the backbone of cutting-edge teaching and research," Bruininks said. "Enabling the University to strengthen our focus on physics and nanotechnology will greatly enhance our ability to educate the science workforce of the future."
The governor's capital investment proposal is the first step in an ongoing discussion with the Minnesota Legislature regarding the possibility of a bonding bill during the 2011 session. It's traditional for the Minnesota Legislature to pass large bonding bills in even-numbered years, but Dayton has said he hopes for a large bill this year to take advantage of low interest rates and to inject some money in the construction sector this year.
The bonding bill discussion will likely be overshadowed this year by the state's looming budget woes. The legislature is grappling with a $6.2 billion deficit in the state's biennial budget and it is currently unclear whether or not a bonding bill will even become a dual-track topic of discussion during this session this year. If the legislators engage in a bonding discussion, political analysts predict that their appetite for a capital investment bill will be considerably smaller than the $1 billion package the Governor has proposed.
"No matter what the size of the final bill, we are hoping that legislators recognize the physics and nanotechnology building as key to the state's overall science and technology ecosystem. We need them to include it in the final bonding bill," said Steven L. Crouch, Dean of the University's College of Science and Engineering. "This new state-of-the-art building is vital to our goal of advancing research and educating the next generation of high-tech workers in the state."
Crouch attended the governor's press conference on Monday, Jan. 31 accompanied by University of Minnesota graduate students Steven Snyder (physics) and Andrew Lyle (electrical and computer engineering), undergraduate student Molly Krogstad (physics), and Bob Hoerr, co-founder and chair of the Scientific Board of Advisors for the St. Paul-based nanotechnology company, Nanocopoeia, and member of the board of directors of MN Nano.