Budget would funnel $22.2M to Miami, Oxford
A pending state OXFORD — capital projects budget has more than $24.1 million going to Butler County with most of the fundsheadedtoMiami University.
The $2.1 billion state plan making its way to likely approval by lawmakers earmarks nearly $69 million for projects across southwest Ohio.
The bulk of the local funds are for improvementsat state universities andcommunity colleges, and Miami is in line for a $21.2 million new health science building now under construction.
Miami will also receive $1 million for the Northwest Butler Creativity Hub Corridor project with the city of Oxford.
“We are grateful for the continued support from the state of Ohio,” Carole Johnson, spokeswoman for Miami, said Wednesday.
“The Clinical Health Science and Wellness Building expands the university’s capacity to produce high-quality, workforce-ready graduates in key clinical health fields to address Ohio’s steadily increasing in-demandhealthcare jobs,” said Johnson.
The DeWine administration and legislative leaders typically negotiate the terms of the capital budget bill before its introduction. As a result, it is not expected to generate controversy.
Lawmakers put the capital spending plan into a bill that is already in a conference committee, which will allow the Ohio House and Senate to move swiftly to pass it thisweek and send it toGov. MikeDeWine’s desk.
The $96 million health science building that will include renovations of HarrisHall, which will temporarily house the school’s health services center during construction.
Thenewcenter, which will be the first new academic building on the campus in more than a decade and will be located near 421 South Campus Ave.
It will alsohelp expand the school’s newhealth degrees, such as a physician’s assistant program, now being developed, school officials have said.
The $1 million the Miami University Northwest Butler Creativity Hub Corridor will help fund a joint project with the city of Oxford to transform a three-block undeveloped area in the city to make a high-tech innovation corridor.