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University of Vermont seeks $1.6 million annually for campus major maintenance
Summary
UVM officials told the South Corrections and Strategic Committee that the university is requesting $1.6 million in fiscal 2026 and $1.6 million in fiscal 2027 for major maintenance, citing about $400 million in deferred maintenance across campus and high repair costs for historic buildings such as Dewey Hall and Howe Library.
University of Vermont officials told the South Corrections and Strategic Committee on Feb. 25 that the university is requesting $1.6 million for fiscal 2026 and $1.6 million for fiscal 2027 to fund major maintenance and targeted renovation projects.
The request matters because UVM officials said the university faces a significant deferred maintenance backlog and limited internal resources to address large envelope and historic‑building projects. Richard Cate, vice president for finance and administration at the University of Vermont, gave the committee a campus overview and described how state capital allocations are used.
Cate said UVM’s current estimate of deferred maintenance is about $400 million, and that the university manages nearly 5.5 million square feet of space. “We have buildings ranging from the Civil War and before, up to some more modern ones,” Cate said. He told the committee the maintenance program prioritizes life‑safety work and the building envelope — roofs and windows — because “you don’t know what happens if the water ever gets in.”
Cate and Wendy Koenig, identified as executive director of government relations for the University, described specific projects that would be candidates for state capital money. Examples cited in testimony: - Howe Library: an exterior facade/brick work project Cate estimated would cost about $2.5 million. - Dewey Hall: identified as the original home of UVM’s College of Medicine, with roughly $40 million of deferred maintenance on the building; Cate said the university hopes eventually to move a department out and explore a ground lease with a private developer who could access historic tax credits the university cannot. - Windows and roofs: officials said window replacement on historic buildings can be expensive — Cate described examples of $1.5 million for grouped window projects — and roof projects ranging from roughly $500,000 to $2 million each.
Committee members pressed officials on how UVM prioritizes projects and what happens if the governor’s recommendation is lower than the university’s request. Cate said the university would stretch remaining funds, patch roofs, stagger multi‑year window projects and use operating budget and one‑time funds where possible. He said the university has closed or sold some peripheral, high‑upkeep properties to reduce footprint and costs and has pursued a mix of operating dollars, bond financing and occasional donor support for capital work.
Officials also discussed labor and contractor constraints. Cate said the university does some in‑house trade work but finds it difficult to hire and retain skilled tradespeople; the university also relies on ongoing contracts with construction firms, which can face delays because of workforce and supply constraints.
No formal committee vote was recorded on the UVM request during the hearing. Committee members indicated they would take the testimony into account as they prepare markup on the capital bill.
The committee hearing continued with the department of environmental conservation’s presentation on clean and drinking water funds.
