Gov. Patrick Announces $100 Million for New Building at UMass Boston

Governor Deval Patrick visited the University of Massachusetts Boston on Tuesday to announce $100 million in funding for the construction of a new, cutting-edge academic building.

The governor’s 2013 Capital Plan, which will be announced next week, includes $607 million in new bond funding set aside for projects across the UMass system. At UMass Boston, the money will finance the construction of General Academic Building No. 2. Design of the new building is expected to begin in 2014, with construction to follow in 2016.

General Academic Building No. 2 will include classrooms and academic support space. The new building will join the Integrated Sciences Complex, currently under construction, and General Academic Building No. 1, now in the design phase, as the first new buildings in the university's master plan.

“This afternoon’s announcement is yet another show of support from you and your administration, on behalf of the students of our Commonwealth,” UMass Boston Chancellor J. Keith Motley told Governor Patrick. “It is proof of your faith in our ability to give them the education they deserve, one that will help them serve our state – and all while being a pretty darn good bargain.”

Joining Governor Patrick and Chancellor Motley at Tuesday’s ceremony were state Education Secretary Paul Reville, UMass system President Robert Caret, UMass Trustees Chairman Henry Thomas, and UMass Boston Student Trustee Alexis Marvel.

In Massachusetts, “education is our calling card,” Governor Patrick said. “It’s as important for us as coal is in West Virginia or corn is in Iowa.”

New projects at UMass Boston and across the state will help preserve the Commonwealth’s status as a hub for higher education, the governor said.

“We have an advantage because of that reputation,” Governor Patrick said. “But we will only retain it if we invest in it.”

The $607 million in UMass funding comes from a $2.2 billion higher education bond bill signed by Gov. Patrick in 2008. Chancellor Motley told the crowd that the projects under way are part of President Caret’s plan for the system.

“Each building we’re designing, each course and academic program we’re planning, every improvement, renovation, or tweak to this campus and our offerings, is in service to President Caret’s clear direction and vision for the university system,” Chancellor Motley said.

Also Tuesday, Gov. Patrick awarded $118,000 to UMass Boston to fund the creation of a professional development program and to develop civic engagement strategies. This money is part of $2.5 million in Performance Incentive Fund grants made to the UMass campuses and state universities.

The day’s announcements were “about seeing our future in you,” Governor Patrick told students. “Make the most of it.”

About UMass Boston
With a growing reputation for innovative research addressing complex issues, the University of Massachusetts Boston, metropolitan Boston’s only public university, offers its diverse student population both an intimate learning environment and the rich experience of a great American city. UMass Boston’s nine colleges and graduate schools serve 16,000 students while engaging local, national, and international constituents through academic programs, research centers, and public service activities. To learn more about UMass Boston, visit www.umb.edu.