While Utah County and Orem figure out what to do with the Signetics property, Utah Valley State College is going to go ahead and build west of the freeway - at least for part of its needs.
In UVSC's monthly Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday, President Kerry Romesburg asked for permission to go ahead with planning for a building to house the Fire Science Academy and the lineman training and professional driving programs on the 25 acres the college owns across I-15."We'd like permission to continue negotiations for the space in the Signetics building if that becomes available," said Romesburg.
That 23 acres of property is currently under option by Fred Meyer Co. for development of a super store and strip mall on the hilltop at 800 East 1300 South.
"In the meantime, we also need permission to begin planning for the west side."
Romesburg said the fire science program must vacate the old Provo campus area, sold to Brigham Young University this past summer for $3.5 million, by June 1995. All three programs being moved to the west side are free-standing and could function easily "split" from the main campus, he said.
"We could take $1.5 million from that sale money for construction of the new facility," Romes-burg said.
The board approved both efforts, which will also need the Board of Regents' approval before plans can get under way.
Romesburg said the most urgent need is to relocate the fire science academy. "We have to be out by June," he emphasized.
Using part of the sale money for the new building would still leave $2 million available to help pay for the acquisition of the space on the Signetics property. Another $2 million of the needed $4 million would come from money already set aside by the Utah Legislature for remodeling of the building when the college tried to lease it last year.
UVSC wants to buy 113,000 square feet of space in the newest, finished building on the property from Utah County - provided Utah County officials are able to put together a formal bid to purchase the land from Phillips Electronics.
UVSC would share the area with the National Guard, a museum that would house Brigham Young University's dinosaur bone collection and possibly the Postal Service and a Boy Scouts of America outlet.
"Our price for the improved space is really about $40 per square foot," the president said. "That includes parking area and paint and carpet for the space we use."
Putting the building on the west property and using the Signetics building would reduce the college's request of $32 million for new construction to only $15 million, said Romesburg, effectively saving the state $16 million.