Planning Begins for New Building

UCBA is making plans for a new building to be constructed near the parking lot across the campus drive from the Veterinary Technology Building, according to UCBA Special Events Planner Tom Cruse.
The project is currently in the early stages of development, Cruse said. The Woolpert architectural firm has been hired to design the building.
The project has to go through several steps before construction can be started, Cruse explained.
The first step is to collect the funds, which are usually donated through a private donor or provided by the State of Ohio. However, in this case, Cruse said UCBA will be footing the bill, nearly $6 million.
The next step in the process is to complete a "Program of Requirements" document, which provides an overview of what the College wants the building to look like, in both the interior and exterior, and provides a cost estimate for the building. During this time an architectural firm will be hired and they will start a more concrete design, Cruse said.
Architects and the College Facilities Department will work together, while an engineer establishes what's needed to design the building and the architect will create a finalized version of the building. A cost estimator totals the cost of the project.
Once the architect and College come to an agreement and all permits are approved, the project is sent out to local construction companies, who are equal opportunity employers and use union workers, Cruse explained.
The cost of the construction cannot go more than 10 percent over the estimated construction portion of the total budget, $3.5 million, or the building may have to be reworked into something cheaper.
Once all of this is completed, site preparation starts, with the connecting of utility lines, and finally construction.
Construction will hopefully be finished within three years, Cruse said, and UCBA will then have a new building that can be used for additional classrooms.