The UC Santa Cruz Budget – A Bird's Eye View - Office of Planning ...

Capital Improvement ProgramCirculation infrastructure: The LRDP and subsequent planning efforts have made clear that the development of an adequateUniversity campus circulation infrastructure is essential. The Santa Cruz campus occupies 2,000 acres, with the developed centralcampus (consisting of the colleges and most of the academic buildings) comprising about 400 acres. The hillside setting of thecampus—with a 900-foot change in elevation—is challenging. At no other UC campus is the topography so pronounced: thechanges in elevation, many ravines, and dense trees create the need for a coordinated system of pedestrian and automobile bridges,roads, and pathways to provide more direct and efficient routes throughout the campus. This network remains incomplete and isfurther strained under the weight of expanded enrollment.For nearly two decades the campus has relied primarily on the use of State general obligation bonds and State lease-revenue bondsto support its enrollment-related (sometimes called capacity) capital needs. Even with this funding, however, there is a funding gapand the campus has committed itself to a series of strategies, including the more efficient use of space, reducing the cost ofconstruction, and raising private funds, to help mitigate this gap.Five-Year State Capital Program: The Santa Cruz campusannually prepares a five-year capital program based both on apractical assessment of facility needs and on a realisticexpectation of the amount of capital funding expected from theState. Projects proposed for State funding in the campus’scurrent five-year program are based on detailed planning andpre-design analysis that typically starts two or even three yearsbefore the initial State funds are available.The chart on the next page reflects the proposed 2006-2011State-funded capital improvement program.Non-State Capital Improvement Program: In addition to coreinstruction and research and academic support facilities fundedthrough the State capital program, the campus requires newfacilities that support organized research activities, studentactivities and housing, infrastructure, administration, andsupporting facilities for the arts, including a concert hall and anart gallery. In line with these needs, the five-year non-Statefundedcapital program includes projects that support research,improve infrastructure, provide seismic corrections, and improvehealth services; two parking projects; a child care center; andseveral housing projects that would either be financed by debt orconstructed by a third-party developer.