Dec 15, 2014 2 min read

CALIFORNIA – Renovations to the president’s residence at California University of Pennsylvania are expected to exceed the school’s $650,000 state allotment for the project, the state System of Higher Education said.

Cal U. will need to rely on private donations to its foundation to cover the costs above that figure, “and this project will be more than that from what I understand,” state system spokesman Kenn Marshall said.

“This is a very old building, and basic infrastructure improvements, such as: installation of central heating and cooling system; replacement of uninsulated, single-pane windows; mandated electrical code upgrades; (and) replacement of all major plumbing and sewer lines, were required, in addition to sorely needed cosmetic updates,” Cal U. spokeswoman Christine Kindl stated in an email.

She said the state system approved the university’s $860,000 total budget for the project in October 2013.

“The project is currently under budget. The university acted as the general contractor for the renovations, and many Cal U. craftsmen contributed their expertise to the project,” Kindl said.

Michael Slavin, past president of the faculty union at the university, said he wasn’t going to complain about the cost because the building, which dates to 1897, was allowed to fall into poor condition.

“The place was a mess,” said Slavin. “It had been let go and let go and let go. I don’t think they had a choice.”

The university said the three-story brick structure attached to South Hall hadn’t been renovated since 1930, that it had termites and needed brick work and roof repairs. The third floor of the house was converted into university office space.

“Once they got in there, they ran into huge problems,” Slavin said Monday.

The state system typically allocates $650,000 for renovations to a president’s residence at any one of its 14 universities after a president leaves office, Marshall said. Cal U. has been operating under interim President Geraldine Jones since May 2012.

The project was undertaken before Cal U. in September announced it was eliminating 30 jobs at a time when its enrollment had fallen from a record-setting 9,483 students in 2011 to just below 8,000 at the start of the fall term.

“All State System universities provide housing for their respective presidents, and in its previous condition the residence at Cal U. would not have been an attractive option for an incoming administrator,” Kindl said.