ANR Building modular addition project approved

Dear Colleagues,

Last week, Senior VP Dan Dooley approved the initial phase of a project to design, estimate cost, and build a modular building adjacent to the existing ANR Building on Hopkins Road in Davis. The building will house the Research and Extension Centers - Administrative Office (REC-AO), Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S), Risk Services, the Statewide IPM Program (IPM), and Communication Services and Information Technology (CSIT).

The need for this facility is driven by a number of factors. First, to reduce facilities costs, UC Davis authorities have been relocating units housed in off-campus leased space to campus facilities. For CSIT, that was going to mean relocation to at least three different structures on campus and the loss of studio, technology infrastructure, and other production facilities. As the lease for the space CSIT currently occupies was to expire late this summer, the need to relocate that unit has been compelling. Additionally, elements of IPM have been in separate locations, one of which is significantly sub-standard.

More importantly, establishing a single location for major administrative, support and programmatic units of ANR will prove essential to improving administrative efficiency and to capitalizing on our new administrative structure and on new common collaborative tools and technologies to support it.

ANR plans to support this project primarily with funds that are restricted to use on capital projects and facilities. Moreover, the planned 18,000 sq ft facility, estimated to cost approximately $2.8 million, will provide a permanent home to key ANR units and, within a relatively short period of time, save both ANR and the UC Davis campus significant lease, improvement, relocation and infrastructure expenses. This project will be funded without impacting current operating budgets and resources, academic recruitments, or funding for our Strategic Initiatives.

While no construction on this project will begin before we have a state budget, we must move ahead with the project planning to be ready when we do. This project will use modular construction technologies that provide functional space at low cost and very short construction times. The UC Davis facilities staff has conducted preliminary analysis of this project and agrees on its potential long-term benefits to both ANR and UCD.

REC-AO, EH&S, Risk Services, IPM, and CSIT will remain in their current locations until they can relocate to the new building projected to be ready by early 2012.

Kay Harrison Taber
Associate Vice President – Business Operations

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