Meeting of the Board of Regents | March 2010

SUMMARY

Issue for Discussion

Update on activities related to the new Stewardship Facility.

Proposed Handling

The Regents Cultural Education Trusteeship Committee will reaffirm its endorsement of the planning and design of the new stewardship facility.

Procedural History

              In 2008, the Office of Cultural Education presented the Regents with the latest progress towards the selection of land and pending design of a new stewardship facility.        

Background Information

              Over the past several decades, it became clear to the leadership and staff of the Office of Cultural Education (OCE) that there is inadequate space to house the collections of the State Museum, Library, and Archives within the facilities currently available and that a plan for future growth is necessary.  This realization began a process and a series of events that led OCE through many phases of planning and review that included a long-range plan, feasibility study, conceptual design, recommendations from expert consultants, and an RFP process for selection of a potential building site. 

The 2007-2008 Capital Construction budget appropriated $60,000,000 in capital bonded funds for the purchase of land and the initial stage of construction.  The appropriation will initiate the first phase of construction of a multi-phased approach to re-house OCE collections and eventually our research labs.

              These actions culminated in the recommendation of the Cultural Education Trust Board (enacted in 2007) that the Harriman State Campus be considered as the prime location for a modular facility that is expandable as programmatic needs require, and as funding is available.  Throughout this extended process and in all discussions internal and with outside consultants, the conceptual plan and design for the facility has not been altered from this initial core concept. 

              In November 2009, Commissioner Steiner renewed Commissioner Mills’ letter to the Director of the Budget requesting assistant and action resulting from the recommendation of the Cultural Education Trust Board and the Board of Regents to pursue the Harriman Campus as the preferred site for location and construction of the facility. 

Recommendation

Recommend continued endorsement of the overall direction and scope of the new stewardship facility plan.