A state legislative committee put a temporary hold on a planned new tri-university medical building that would expand downtown Phoenix’s medical campus.
Funding for the proposed $164 million Health Sciences Education Building, to be built by UA in partnership with ASU and NAU in a lot between North Fifth and North Seventh streets and on East Van Buren Street, was already approved by the Legislature and Gov. Jan Brewer. The funding is expected to begin coming through in 2012 and will be provided through bonds paid off by Arizona Lottery revenue.
But the project was suddenly put on hold last week when Sen. Russell Pierce, a Republican from Mesa and chairman of the Joint Committee on Capital Review, refused to review the project. Standard procedure for all state-funded building projects must go up for review in the committee before the project can be funded by the state, although the committee has no power to stop the project in a review.
Pierce could not be reached for comment on the issue, but Rep. John Kavanagh, a Republican from Fountain Hills and vice chairman of the committee, said they both had reservations on the project because the source of the revenue was the Arizona Lottery, which hasn’t been a reliable source of revenue for the state since the beginning of the economic downturn.
Judy Bernas, spokeswoman for the UA College of Medicine speaking on behalf of the three universities, said UA understands that the state is having trouble with the economy, but she believes that this could be a huge economic drive for the state.
“Our belief is to help the economic demands of the future,” Bernas said. “We need to think about investing in medical research and education.”
The building would provide room for additional students in UA’s College of Medicine-Phoenix in partnership with ASU, the College of Nursing and Health Innovation at ASU and for NAU’s physical therapy and pharmacy programs. In addition to traditional classrooms, the building will include simulation facilities and specialized labs, as well as a medical library.
But Kavanagh said he felt the state’s focus should be elsewhere.
“We need to stop all levels of government to commit to large expensive projects,” he said. “They should focus on other things like keeping tuition down for students.”
Kavanagh also said he would support the project if the universities would look into private funding.
The universities are considering getting 20 percent of the cost through private funds but are still expecting to get funding by the state, Bernas said.
Rocio Beltran, a therapeutic recreation junior at the College of Nursing and Health Innovation, said she doesn’t think the committee will provide the money, but she does believe that the new facility will help out the local economy.
“If the funding is approved, I think [the Health Sciences Education Building] would not only be an excellent source of income for the University but it will help bring in professionals and create professionals that will bring up ASU as a top nursing university and Arizona as a top medical state,” Beltran said.
Contact the reporter at michael.contreras@asu.edu
