Regents approve UC Merced Classroom/Office Building 3 — $78 million total budget
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
The Regents approved budget, scope, external financing and design for UC Merced’s Classroom/Office Building 3, a 53,000-square-foot, all‑electric LEED‑Platinum academic facility with a 400‑seat auditorium; total project cost presented as $78 million.
Regent Cohen, committee chair, called the item and the committee approved UC Merced’s Classroom/Office Building 3 (COB 3).
Chancellor Juan Munoz (presenting, transcript reference) asked the Regents to approve the budget, scope, external financing and design for COB 3. The campus said $8.6 million had previously been approved for preliminary planning and the campus requested the balance necessary to advance construction, bringing the total project to $78,000,000. The campus said it added $3,000,000 to a prior estimate to account for potential material‑cost pressures such as tariffs on steel.
The campus described COB 3 as a 53,000‑square‑foot facility designed to support 12 new high‑demand undergraduate programs, with a 400‑seat auditorium, larger lecture halls and dedicated student advising and tutoring spaces. The campus said the building would be all‑electric and built to a LEED Platinum standard to align with University of California carbon‑neutrality goals.
Committee members moved, seconded and called the roll; the vote recorded approval from Regents present. The transcript records no amendments or conditions attached to the approval in committee; the campus will proceed with next steps in project implementation and return as required by Regents policy for construction and financing authorizations.