Galveston County Daily News, Feb. 10, 2008
Plans are under way to build a $90 million research building at UTMB, officials have announced. The research building will be located on Sixth Street and Harborside, across the street from the school's Primary Care Pavilion. It will house offices and laboratories for medical branch researchers.
UTMB plans $90 million research building
By Rhiannon Meyers
The Daily News Published February 10, 2008
GALVESTON - Plans are under way to build a $90 million research building at The University of Texas Medical Branch, officials have announced.
The research building will be located on Sixth Street and Harborside, across the street from the school's Primary Care Pavilion. It will house offices and laboratories for medical branch researchers.
The building, along with the $167 million, federally funded National Biocontainment Laboratory, should help the medical branch attract scientists from around the world to the island, said Garland D. Anderson, dean of the School of Medicine.
"It means we can continue to make progress with our research," he said.
Construction on the five-story, 140,000-square-foot building is expected to begin in early 2010. Anderson said the expansion should put to rest rumors that medical branch is moving off the island.
"We wouldn't be building this facility if we were moving somewhere," he said. "I want the community to recognize that we're here to stay."
The building, recently approved by University of Texas System regents, will be funded by $30.5 million from the system's Permanent University Fund and $29.5 million from revenue bonds.
The medical branch will supplement the rest of the price tag with donations. Officials will begin a fundraising campaign as soon as they can give more definite plans for the facility to the system's regents for final approval, Anderson said.
The research facility will be constructed in the space now occupied by student housing. The medical branch will raze two small metal buildings and a dorm housing 120 students to make way for the research building.
A new student housing facility has been approved for construction at 13th and Mechanic streets.
The research facility will include 76,000 square feet of space expressly devoted to research.
Reporter Rhiannon Meyers can be reached at 409-683-5236 or rhiannon.meyers(at)galvnews.com.