Deferred maintenance caused costly emergency construction projects this summer, and offi cials are considering a proposal to raise the debt allowance to pay for building upkeep.
Parts of University Terrace near Scott Quadrangle caved after the roof of a steam tunnel beneath it gave way. These tun nels carry steam for heating and cooling campus buildings; some have done so since 1946.
Ohio University officials have said the tunnels are routinely checked but are outdated. Some spaces might also be too small to thoroughly inspect.
Construction has detoured traffic since May on University Terrace while repairs are made — a $390,000 cost. OU officials hope to have the road open to traffic by move-in Fall Semester.
The steam tunnel failed as a result of deferred maintenance, a common problem for the uni versity, said Harry Wyatt, associ ate vice president for facilities management.
“There are things inside the tunnels that I’m not happy about that are on the list to be repaired,” Wyatt said. “Our in ventory on the tunnels and the condition of each tunnel is not great.”
A chilled water pipe leaked near Shively Hall on East Green Drive in June, forcing officials to dig a hole about 8 feet deep in the road. The project was esti mated to cost $10,000.
In 2011, OU’s deferred main tenance backlog was $413 mil lion, or about $78 per square foot, according to a 2011 report from University Communica tions and Marketing.
A six-year capital plan was ap proved in 2011 to spend $977.5 million in capital improvements — more than 58 percent of those funds being debt issuances.
The board of trustees voted at its June 2013 meeting to consid er a proposal that would allow the university to take out $585 million more in debt to pay for deferred maintenance projects.
Other emergency projects this summer included repairing a compressor water chiller that failed because of a power out age. It will cost OU $250,000 to replace.
