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University of Minnesota asks Legislature for $200 million HEAPR, $20 million for ag research farm design
Summary
University of Minnesota President Rebecca Cunningham told the Senate Capital Investment Committee on Feb. 18 that the system seeks $200 million for HEAPR to address a near-$6 billion deferred maintenance backlog and $20 million to design an advanced agricultural research farm in Mower County.
University of Minnesota President Rebecca Cunningham told the Senate Capital Investment Committee on Feb. 18 that the university’s top capital priorities for 2025 are $200 million for the Higher Education Asset Preservation and Replacement (HEAPR) program and $20 million to complete design work for an advanced agricultural research farm.
Cunningham said the university’s physical infrastructure is aging: the system manages roughly 30,000,000 square feet of space, about one-third of which — roughly 9,000,000 square feet — is in “poor or critical” condition. She said university building assets are valued at about $15,000,000,000 and that “our deferred maintenance backlog is nearly $6,000,000,000.”
The university said full funding of the $200 million HEAPR request would allow more than 100 projects in over 75 buildings across its five-campus system. University vice president for university services Alice Roberts Davis described HEAPR as the system’s “main source of funding for facilities renewal and upkeep” and said HEAPR allocations focus on safety, accessibility and reliability work such as railings for the Washington Avenue pedestrian bridge, high-rise code updates for Moose Tower, and mechanical overhauls in the Saint Paul Food Science and Nutrition Building.
Cunningham also outlined a second request: $20 million to finish design of a forward-looking agricultural research “FARM” on more than 1,300 acres in Mower County. The project, she said, would use precision technologies — including robotics and predictive analytics — to study soil health, crop-animal-human-environment interactions, and to train the next generation of agricultural professionals.
Legislators questioned university witnesses about the Washington Avenue pedestrian bridge temporary fencing (which university staff said had helped prevent suicides), the university’s prioritization process for HEAPR dollars, and the interaction between new construction and renewal funding. Cunningham said the system uses decennial facility condition assessments and campus-level consultations to prioritize HEAPR projects and that allocations are apportioned in part by gross square footage; she said the Twin Cities campuses receive the largest share because they have the most square footage.
The university warned that state bond funding has become less predictable over time and said volatility makes multi‑year planning difficult. Cunningham and Roberts Davis said regular HEAPR funding is the most cost-effective way to extend asset life, reduce emergency repairs and protect prior state investments.
No formal vote was recorded during the presentation; committee members and university staff discussed details and follow-up data requests.
Ending: The university representatives said they welcome continued committee engagement as appropriations are considered and will provide follow-up information requested by senators.
