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Utah Gets Federal Grant, but Earthquake-Proofing Project Still ShakyAlthough the University of Utah got a $2.9-million Federal Emergency Management Agency grant April 6 toward seismic retrofitting of its library, the school has no guarantee it will secure the rest of the funds needed to make the building earthquake-proof. The total cost of retrofitting the J. Willard Marriott Library in Salt Lake City is $15 million, but other necessary improvements—including wiring upgrades and the installation of firewalls to protect special collections—bring the total project to $63 million. The library has asked the state to cover $45 million of that amount, but it’s uncertain whether the legislature, which has rejected the request for the past three years, will come through this year, the Salt Lake Tribune reported April 7. “The grant won’t make a difference in the state’s prioritization of building projects,” said State Sen. Beverly Evans (R-Altamont). “It’s a major project, and it’s a matter of whether we can get enough votes in the legislature for two large projects,” she said, referring to a $50-million planned seismic upgrade to the state capitol. Further, library officials have announced that the FEMA grant means they will seek less money from private sources, rather than reduce the amount of state funding they ask for. “We feel we need some support in getting to the private funding total of $18 million,” Director Sarah Michalak said in the April 7 Deseret News. But that decision raised concern for some lawmakers. “If they find new funds and minimize their local match, the legislature is going to ask why,” said Sen. David Gladwell (R-Ogden). The federal grant is contingent upon state funding and must be used within three years. Posted April 9, 2004. |
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