“Outside the circle of higher ed facilities managers, it’s the shiny new campus buildings that get all the glory. Yet what facilities insiders know all too well is that existing buildings are in dire need of attention […]
At 180 years old, Oglethorpe University in Atlanta is dotted with aging buildings and deferred maintenance. Money was put aside to tackle the most crucial projects but not enough to avoid a backlog of needed repairs. A decade ago, the university was operating in the red due to lower enrollment and was simply unable to invest significantly in its infrastructure, President Lawrence Schall says. “If the money isn’t there, it’s not even a choice to defer. You just have to.”
His solution? Come up with a plan to generate new revenue to pay for the needed campus repairs and maintenance…”
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