Reynolds Institute to cost $1 million more

MU will need to pay an additional $1 million to finish the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute, under construction at the North End of Francis Quadrangle. Because bids for the construction were costlier than expected, School of Journalism officials we

By Jedd Rosche

Published March 17, 2006

MU will need to pay an additional $1 million to finish the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute, under construction at the north end of Francis Quadrangle.

Because bids for the construction were costlier than expected, School of Journalism officials had to ask MU administrators for additional funds.

Dean Mills, the dean of the journalism school, was out of his office Thursday and unavailable for comment.

"Campus administration is paying for $1 million of the campus funding sources," Philip Shocklee, Campus Facilities spokesman, said.

Shocklee said according to the most recent estimates, MU will have to pay $3.4 million of the institute's construction costs, including the additional $1 million, which will be paid for from general funds.

Nikki Krawitz, UM system vice president for finance and administration, said before bids arrived, the projected cost of the construction was $19.7 million.

"The overall projected contribution of the MU campus to the building was $2.9 million in October 2005," Krawitz said.

In February 2004, the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation donated $31 million for the construction of the institute, which will include a new building and the creation of academic programs.

The journalism school designated $18.6 million of the contribution for physical building costs, dividing that amount between $16.7 million for construction and $1.9 million for furniture and additional technology costs.

Brian Brooks, the associate dean of the journalism school, said increasing construction costs delayed the project's start.

"We found out about the additional costs in the fall," Brooks said. "These costs delayed the start of construction from November or December, to the first week in January."

Brooks said he and his colleagues in the journalism school believe the project will be completed by Fall Semester 2007.

"In the past, the journalism school has raised most of its funding when it comes to building projects," Brooks said.

Brooks said a request for an additional $1 million was reasonable, because the difficulty of the project.

"It's a complicated building project," Brooks said. "The Sociology Building is from 1892."

The institute will occupy the Sociology Building, which is next to the journalism school.

Brooks said the Sociology Building's foundation needed renovation and each floor will have to be removed and replaced. Because of this, the building's walls needed to be reinforced during construction. Brooks said this also led to increased costs.

Brooks said events outside of the campus also influenced the rise in construction costs.

"Hurricane Katrina caused the price of building materials to increase and led to a shortage of possible construction workers," Brooks said.