Hampton Roads colleges to get $205 million in bond package

RICHMOND

Construction projects at South Hampton Roads’ colleges and universities got a big boost Wednesday when the General Assembly unanimously approved a $1.5 billion borrowing package.

The bond package, the product of lengthy negotiations between the House and Senate, was largely designed to finance building at colleges and universities across the state.

Speaker William J. Howell, R-Stafford, said it is “the largest-ever capital infusion for our academic institutions.”

“College presidents view this as a landmark bill for education for years to come,” said Del. Lacey Putney, I-Bedford, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and the chief architect of the legislation.

The action came during a long day in which lawmakers considered 77 amendments offered by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine to the state budget and an assortment of other bills approved by the General Assembly this winter. Most of Kaine’s proposed changes were technical and accepted by legislators.

Lawmakers said the new construction funded by the bonds offers an added benefit of creating jobs and spurring Virginia’s economy.

Kaine has indicated that he supports the package. The projects can start as soon as he signs the legislation.

In addition to about $1 billion for higher education projects, the measure also includes $437.6 million for projects at state parks, mental health facilities and other government properties and $46 million for planning future capital projects.

Old Dominion University will receive about $43.6 million to build a student counseling center, improve its arts center and acquire a building.

Norfolk State University will get $45.1 million for a new library.

Tidewater Community College will get $36.9 million for a new learning resources building on its Virginia Beach campus and $20.6 million for a new academic building on its Chesapeake campus.

Eastern Virginia Medical School will get $59 million to build new classrooms. The additional space will allow EVMS to expand its enrollment of 440 medical students by about 30 percent.

EVMS was a sticking point in negotiations over the bond package.

Putney and several other senior delegates questioned whether EVMS qualified for public support, noting that it is unaffiliated with any state university.

EVMS eased concerns by agreeing to allow the governor, the House and the Senate to appoint seven of the school’s 17 board members and to submit to a review by the State Council of Higher Education.

In other action Wednesday, the General Assembly approved minor amendments Kaine offered to legislation that will toughen regulation of payday loan companies. Some consumer advocates complained that the bill did not go far enough in curbing abusive loan practices.

Kaine also withdrew an amendment he had offered that would have cut Medicaid costs by substituting generic behavioral medicines for brand-name drugs.

The governor said his amendment could save the state about $1.5 million a year, but he dropped it amid complaints from mental health advocates.

Staff writer Julian Walker contributed to this report.

Warren Fiske, (804) 697-1565, warren.fiske@pilotonline.com