Last November, the University of Florida held a grand opening for its 280,000-sq.-ft. cancer and genetics research building in Gainesville. "The biggest research building" on the campus, says Douglas Barrett, head of UF's health sciences.

Barrett says he has been on a mission to build research space ever since UF doubled its research funding without adding space. "I said this is simply not sustainable," Barrett says. "They say, 'What are your priorities?' It's labs. And after that labs and labs."

Lab Work: Douglas Barrett, head of UF's health sciences college (standing in front of the university's new cancer and genetics building), says his priorities are "labs. And after that labs and labs." [Photo: Jeffrey Camp]

At Florida's universities, it's building -- and after that building and building, in a mix of ambition and need. Florida's universities added 50,000 students in the last five years and project 50,000 more by 2012. Then there's research. UF and its president, Bernie Machen, want to be in the top 10 among public research universities. Thus it has added in the last four years 600,000 square feet of research space, including its cancer and genetics research center. Ahead, it has tens of millions more in research room spending on the drawing boards. UF isn't alone in wanting to be in the research big leagues. Funded research at the state's universities jumped to $1.3 billion in 2005 from $750 million in 1998, and universities want more. "Even if we didn't get another student, we would still have high stress on our research facilities," says system Chancellor Mark Rosenberg.

Throw in amenities such as student unions, projects such as stadiums and ubiquitous parking garages, and Florida will need to be well-stocked with cement mixers.
And cash:

• Based on square feet per student, Florida's public university system is one of the most crowded in the country. All told, the universities need $3.4 billion to put up another 10 million square feet of classroom and lab space by 2012 to meet demand. As the state currently does business, 50% of needed space will be funded by 2013. "We're very worried about the ability of our facilities to absorb that growth and stay competitive," Rosenberg says.
• Buildings constructed to educate Baby Boomers are in need of renovation and retrofitting as they reach age 40. The state estimates a $1-billion backlog in maintenance.
• Universities, community colleges and the K-12 system share the same funds generated by the utilities and communications services tax to construct buildings. The universities historically got 31% of the pie, but that's under pressure from voter-mandated K-12 class-size reductions.
• The global construction boom has driven up the cost of steel and cement for Florida university building.

University Construction Most construction at the 11 State University System schools is funded by the utilities and communications services tax. Below is the Board of Governors' master list for construction spending. The Legislature added $110.6 million for the coming fiscal year, subject to approval by Gov. Charlie Crist. The money cannot be used to build stadiums, dormitories, parking garages or student unions.

Creativity eases the cash need -- a bit. The state is pushing universities to offer more classes at night and on Fridays, weekends and especially summers to accommodate more students with existing space. More efficient design, energy savings and environmentally friendly plans also have been urged.

Meanwhile, diversity in revenue streams helps. Dorms, student unions, student health centers, parking garages and -- to a degree -- stadiums come from fees and so don't compete with classrooms for money. UF raised $30 million for its cancer and genetics research building by selling stock in Regeneration Technologies, a company spawned by UF research.

BUILDING BOOM: UF's $39-million nanoscience building is scheduled to be completed by December. [Photo: Jeffrey Camp]

The center already is paying off in recruitment, high-paying jobs and research insights, says director W. Stratford May Jr. Before, researchers were scattered in other buildings and so missed out on chance opportunities to profit from chatting at the vending machine or while borrowing each other's lab gear, says John Wingard, a UF cancer researcher. "It really was a barrier to cross-fertilization," he says. Now, interaction occurs and "suddenly the light bulbs go off."

Barrett, the head of UF health sciences, also sees a light as more research construction gets under way -- "I see light at the end of the tunnel."

Higher Education

Adding Beds
From tiny New College with 200 beds to USF and UNF with 1,000 apiece, new dorms will be popping up across Florida in the next three years. Paid for by housing fees, they -- like parking garages -- don't compete with classrooms for state tax money. Private Jacksonville University is working on a 500-bed dorm as it tries to nearly double enrollment over the next seven to eight years to 4,500 to 5,000 students. By the way, the bathroom down the hall is yesteryear's design. Most configurations now call for suites with a shared bathroom. At private Nova Southeastern University, 80% of new dorm rooms will be private while the rest will hold two beds. It's a market-based decision. George L. Hanbury II, Nova's chief operating officer, says research shows 75% of new college students have never shared a room at home.

Gathering Places
At least seven of Florida's 11 public universities and colleges -- and several of the private ones -- have new student unions under way, planned or under renovation. Cumulative price tag: More than $130 million, and that doesn't include millions being spent on career centers and other student support facilities, intramural fields and other amenities.

Why the focus on unions? "You're trying to maintain whatever competitive position you can in the marketplace," says William Abare Jr., president of private Flagler College in St. Augustine, which is spending $12.3 million to build its first freestanding union. "Every college has got one, and you are at a competitive disadvantage if you don't have one. It's just not (competition) for students. It's competition for faculty, and it's competition for private resources" -- that is, donations. Competition also explains the alumni center projects on the drawing boards in Florida.

Private Plans
Public universities aren't the only schools with big building projects. Nova Southeastern is constructing a $24-million research center housing the U.S. Geological Survey and labs for university scientists. The school is also developing a $240-million, 2 million-sq.-ft. "academical village" that encompasses a medical center, offices, apartments, a hotel, conference center and retail space. Meanwhile, the University of Miami is building a 180,000-sq.-ft. biomedical research facility with plans for a twin building in three years, along with an 850,000-sq.-ft., 14-story building for clinic space. A 14-story, 380,000-sq.-ft. clinical research building opened in December.