Regents approve FY2026 capital improvement budget, including $8 million for Washington Avenue safety railings

The University of Minnesota Board of Regents voted unanimously on June 18 to approve the president’s FY2026 annual capital improvement budget, adding $68,000,000 in funding since the June committee review.

Vice President Robert Stavitz outlined the changes, saying the state’s $700,000,000 bonding bill provides $60,000,000 in Higher Education Asset Preservation and Replacement (HEAPR) funds to advance facility renewal projects across system campuses. He also identified an $8,000,000 one‑time grant from Hennepin County and the Met Council to fund permanent suicide‑prevention railings along the Washington Avenue Bridge.

“The legislature passed a transportation bill that grants $8,000,000 for the safety railings on the Washington Avenue Bridge,” Stavitz said, describing the HEAPR allocation and the county/Met Council grant as key additions to the capital plan. He also noted university‑funded projects, including a multi‑site solar energy installation on the Twin Cities campus financed with university debt and a philanthropic project to build a new Apple House at the Landscape Arboretum.

Chair Huebsch thanked legislators and Hennepin County for the funding that made the bridge safety work possible and called for a roll‑call vote. The resolution passed 12–0.

The approved package leaves university repair and replacement totals consistent with prior presentations and directs the administration to advance the listed projects under the university’s established capital planning and procurement processes.

The board completed the capital budget action early in the special meeting and moved on to the operating budget later in the session.