FY26 Major Capital Project Descriptions.pdf

Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia

F Y 2 0 2 6 C A P I TA L B U D G E T

P R O J E C T D E S C R I P T I O N S

FY2026 USG Major Capital Project Descriptions | 2

CONTENTS

C O N T E N T S

FY 2026 USG CAPITAL BUDGET FUUNDING DESCRIPTIONS

Columbus State University - Space Science/Robotics Facility

Georgia Institute of Technology - Skiles Critical Infrastructure Renewal and Upgrade

Savannah State University - Student Support, Engagement and Wellness Facilities

University of Georgia - Science & Ag Hill Modernization, Phase IV - Building #1000 (formerly Biological Sciences), North Wing

FY2026 USG Major Capital Project Descriptions | 3

COLUMBUS STATE UNIVERSITY

Space Science/Robotics Facility Columbus (Main Campus)

PROJECT CATEGORY

Large Capital Design, Const., & Equip.

DESCRIPTION

The proposed project is a new 36K GSF building on CSU’s main campus to integrate the Coca Cola Space Science Center (CCSSC) currently located in a 21K GSF building in downtown Columbus and the growing CSU Robotics Engineering (CSURE) program now housed in the 6K GSF Lenoir Annex building. The new facility will be located on the site of single-story Turner I/II complex across an existing parking lot from the Turner Continuing Education Center. The project includes the demolition of Turner I/II (9,364 GSF) and the 23,688 GSF Health and Wellness Center, a 1968 main campus building with significant deferred maintenance and functional deficiencies. The new multi-use facility will function as a collaboration between CSURE, CCSSC, and the Muscogee County School District (MCSD).

CSU is providing $10M of non-state funding to supplement the project ($4M external gift funds, $4M federal, $2M MCSD). No future state funding requests are anticipated.

JUSTIFICATION FOR FUNDING

The new facility will allow the integration of the critical robotics engineering, advanced manufacturing, and space science disciplines and provide a hub for advanced technology that will catalyze regional economic development and develop a K-20 technology education pipeline that will nurture an evolving robotics ecosystem in the Columbus area. Beneficial outcomes include: doubling the quantity and enhancing the quality of instructional and research space for the fast-growing CSURE program; enhancing the quality and function of CCSSC educational outreach; serve as a regional hub for robotics education, testing, and innovation; provide enhanced access to educational opportunities for MCSD/CSU students and the greater Columbus community; serve local/regional needs for a technically trained workforce; and create opportunities for robotics partnerships with local organizations (particularly Fort Moore). The project will not create a net increase in campus space and will eliminate significant deferred maintenance liability, improve overall operating efficiency, and provide optimized locations for the facility occupants and CSU University Police (which will move into the Lenoir Annex for improved access to main campus instructional and residential activity centers). The location is also beneficial due to the ability to share existing parking and blend event space programming with the Turner Continuing Education Center.

STATE FUNDING REQUEST

$12.2M

FY2026 USG Major Capital Project Descriptions | 4

GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Skiles Critical Infrastructure Renewal and Upgrade Atlanta

PROJECT CATEGORY

Large Capital Design and Construction

DESCRIPTION

This project will renew critical infrastructure in the Skiles building, a heavily utilized 140,000 GSF instructional facility in the core of the Georgia Tech campus which hosts nearly 10% of on-campus classroom instruction. The scope includes upgrading the HVAC system to resolve significant indoor air quality issues along with essential electrical and plumbing system replacements and essential repair of the building envelope. No further state funding requests are anticipated for this project.

JUSTIFICATION FOR FUNDING

After 65 years of continuous use, most of the building’s mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems are original and in urgent need of replacement and upgrade to ensure safe and reliable operation. Building envelope repairs are needed to prevent further deterioration and maintain structural integrity. While this project will not address all deferred maintenance, it will completely modernize one section of the building, tackling the most critical needs and ensuring efficient and effective operation going forward.

$20.0M

FY2026 USG Major Capital Project Descriptions | 6

SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY

Student Support, Engagement and Wellness Facilities Savannah

PROJECT CATEGORY

Large Capital Design

DESCRIPTION

The SSU campus has two distinct sectors that are separated by a largely open drainage canal floodplain:

the historic campus core at the east edge of campus adjacent to the salt marsh, and a more modern/ contemporary sector west of the canal. Nearly 75% of SSU’s current enrollment live on campus, with ~1,000 mostly lower division students in traditional dorms in the historic core and ~1,300 upper division students in apartments on the west campus. This project will provide needed enhancements to the quality of student support and engagement space on the east campus while providing a logical consolidation of student fitness/wellness space on the west campus. The overall scope of this portfolio project includes: a) the demolition of ~100K GSF of obsolete, poor quality east campus buildings (~62K GSF Wiley gymnasium/ pool complex; 28K GSF King Frazier administrative/retail building); b) ~55K GSF of new state-of-the-art replacement space (~20K GSF King Frazier addition for student support and engagement; 35K GSF new student fitness/wellness space on west campus adjacent to Tiger Arena); c) targeted renovation and systems renewal in 102K GSF (~18K GSF King Frazier dining and food service; 84K GSF Tiger Arena); d) remediation and enhancement of demolition sites and environmental stabilization and enhancement of a portion of the saltwater marsh edge bordering the historic campus core. The FY26 request includes demolition and design, as demolition is required to enable part of the new construction scope. Anticipated future state funding requests include $48.6M for construction in FY27 and $4.7M for equipment in FY28.

JUSTIFICATION FOR FUNDING

This investment will provide transformative upgrades to the student support, engagement, and wellness facilities at Savannah State University. The overall student experience will be enhanced by having a smaller portfolio of maintained, renovated, and new spaces specifically designed for contemporary needs with superior function and efficiency. The enhanced student support and engagement facilities on the east campus will provide better balance with the newer existing facilities on the west campus, while the new student-focused fitness and wellness facilities are logically consolidated with complementary and supportive space and infrastructure on the west campus. The demolitions open up space in the historic campus core along the marsh, enabling environmental remediation and landscape enhancement with a variety of aesthetic and functional benefits. Other positive outcomes include the elimination of a profound amount of deferred maintenance liability, an increase of the overall efficiency of the campus space portfolio, and improved campus energy and operating efficiency.

$6.5M

FY2026 USG Major Capital Project Descriptions | 7

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

Science & Ag Hill Modernization, Phase IV - Building #1000 (formerly Biological Sciences) - North Wing Athens

PROJECT CATEGORY

Large Capital Design

DESCRIPTION

Phase IV of the Science & Ag Hill Modernization plan anticipates renovation of approximately 83,000 GSF of the North Wing of Building #1000 (formerly known as Biological Sciences) that will become vacated after the completion of the building’s first renovation phase (Science & Ag Hill Modernization Phase II). Renovations will modernize research labs and create flexible spaces for more efficient Principal Investigator assignments, while concentrating computational and other lower-intensity laboratory uses on the north wing’s top three levels. Scope will also include replacement of outdated MEP systems as well as upgrades to address life safety, accessibility, and structural codes.

UGA is providing $20M of institutional funding to supplement the project (including $2.4M for design in FY26 and $17.6M for construction in FY27). Future state funding requests are anticipated for construction in FY27 ($34.5M) and equipment in FY28 ($6M).

JUSTIFICATION FOR FUNDING

With the completion of Science & Ag Hill Modernization Phase II, the renovated portion of Building #1000 will provide enough modern, wet laboratory research space to relocate faculty and graduate students from the remaining, outdated North Wing that comprise portions of the facility. The vacated wing will then afford UGA an opportunity to complete the two-phased renovation of the original 1960 footprint of this historically significant mid-century science building. Upgrades to reduce fume hood intensity will ensure continuous air quality while improving operating efficiency.

$2.1M