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Morgan State seeks funding for science center and campus electrical upgrades amid deferred-maintenance backlog
Summary
Morgan State presented a multi-project capital agenda including a costly Science Center Phase 2, campus electrical substation work needed to support research facilities, and a deferred-maintenance program; DLS recommended replacing GO bond sustainability funding with PAYGO special funds and asked for clarifications on several items.
Morgan State University told the Capital Budget Subcommittee it has a large multi‑project capital program, including a new Science Center (Phase 2), campus electrical infrastructure upgrades and a $300 million deferred maintenance backlog.
Kelly Norton, the DLS analyst for Morgan State, said the CIP includes nine projects and that four projects are scheduled to receive $104.2 million in GO bond funding in fiscal 2026. The Science Center Phase 2 is the largest single item; Norton reported its overall cost increased by $72.4 million to $336.8 million, driven by structure and lab facility cost escalation, added lab equipment, and $17.2 million to rebuild a portion of Stadium Way for a new stormwater culvert. DLS recommended reducing $9,000,000 in GO bond funding tied to sustainability components and adding language to replace the GO bond authorization with PAYGO special funds from the Strategic Energy Investment Fund Energy Efficiency Account.
Norton described the campus-wide electrical infrastructure upgrades as necessary to provide a single-point service substation that will give the campus the resiliency and redundancy required to support the new science center and future projects. The campus reached capacity after the opening of its Health and Human Services building, Norton said.
Morgan State President David Wilson and campus leaders answered DLS questions during the hearing. Wilson confirmed the Stadium Way slope stabilization is the same project coordinated with the science center, said the design team for electrical upgrades should be on board by June or July, and said the university has used more than $20 million of HBCU capital loan funds for deferred maintenance. Wilson added the HBCU loan program is generally more favorable than market debt and that the university retains only modest capacity to issue additional legislative debt.
DLS recommended language to use PAYGO special funds from the Strategic Energy Investment Fund to replace GO bond reductions related to sustainability components. The transcript records the committee’s questions and university responses but no formal vote on DLS’s funding recommendations.
