Editor’s note: This is the second in a three-part series detailing the state of the University’s academic buildings, which have not been evaluated since 2005.
When a piece of deteriorated concrete from Hill Memorial Library’s outer wall fell to the ground in February, it turned students’ attention to the structural integrity of campus buildings.
But aged and damaged siding is just one concern. There are a number of documented, yet untouched, issues lurking in the University’s academic buildings.
Many of the problems on the list are compliance issues like doors or countertops that aren’t up to standards. Door frames are listed on the report as deteriorating, while stairwells are cited for not having guardrails.
While these problems aren’t the worst, other items on the list involve bigger systems that would cost a significant amount of money to fix.
Many buildings on campus have outdated heating, ventilation and air conditioning, or HVAC, systems that require thousands or millions of dollars to repair.
Public records from facility consulting firm VFA show the HVAC air handlers in Patrick F. Taylor Hall, for example, would cost $4.7 million to replace, and it was supposed to be repaired by 2009.
The HVAC air distribution system in the Life Sciences building is listed as “antiquated” and a priority 1 project. Repairs would cost nearly $2.7 million. The suggested action date to update that system was 2004.
Most of the academic buildings on campus lack sufficient sprinkler system coverage and need to replace the fire alarms.
One major hazard is Middleton Library, which was listed on the VFA report as not having a sprinkler system installed. The installation of a sprinkler system would cost about $1.7 million, according to the report. But this problem is only listed as priority 4, with a suggested action date of 2014.
The library also is cited for needing to replace its fire alarms ­- a problem that is listed as priority 5 and “does not meet current codes/standards” – and given a suggested action date of 2014.
Other buildings were listed as having mold problems or asbestos, both of which may cause severe health issues.
Allen Hall has mold on the exterior walls. It’s listed as priority 2, and renovations should cost $277,861. The suggested action date is 2007.
Another priority 2 problem with a suggested action date of 2007 is asbestos in Howe-Russell Hall, which is defined as a “noted hazard” and would cost $559,183 to oust.
Asbestos, a fiber that was once a primary element in building materials, is particularly harmful and has been linked to serious health problems, such as mesothelioma cancer, according to The Mesothelioma Center. The fiber has been banned from use in more than 50 countries.
The total cost of all critical priority 1 projects, which collectively had a suggested repair date of 2004, is about $40 million, according to Ken Courtade, manager of Long Range Planning for the University’s Facility Services and former member of the state’s office of Facility Planning and Control. To fix all issues ranked 1 through 5 would cost about $255 million, he said.
But since the report hasn’t been updated since 2005, Courtade said there’s no way of knowing if these problems have been fixed.
Some of these problems may be fixed, while other new problems may have occurred since the report was compiled.
But this is also a problem because state funding for repairs is tied to a statewide conditions assessment, he said.
“So there’s the catch-22,” Courtade said. “The assessment has not been updated, so there’s things that have gone bad since 2004 that are not on the list that need to be fixed, but there’s no mechanism for us to request money from the state, if they had the money.”
Courtade said the University submits a request for funding for deferred maintenance annually, and the only way to tell which projects have been completed would be to look at past requests.
For example, the request from 2010 included 55 items that had already received more than $9 million in funding to repair. The 55 items held an outstanding balance of $4,350,000.
Of the $9 million already put into those projects, finishing the repairs would cost another $4.3 million.
 
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Contact Kevin Thibodeaux at [email protected]