State spending plan includes funding for PMAC renovations, LSU library
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BATON ROUGE - The spending plan approved by Louisiana lawmakers in the waning moments of the regular legislative session Thursday includes millions of dollars in funding for LSU's long-neglected library and the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
The capital outlay budget outlines $152,753,349 in funding to build the Louisiana State University Library, with about $3.2 million of that money being prioritized in the budget. The bulk of the library funding is labeled as a "priority 5" budget item, which means actually getting the money will depend on the state's other budget priorities.
A similar funding plan was approved by lawmakers last year.
The current library's condition has been a sore spot for students and faculty alike, with many pointing to the disparity between the school's academic and sports facilities, which are generally paid for through separate funding sources.
About $101 million for PMAC renovations was also set aside in a last-minute amendment to the budget, though — like the library money — actually getting all of that funding will be contingent on whether the state can pay for its other higher-priority projects. About half of the money will come out of LSU's Athletics' own fees and revenue, and only $1 million from the capital outlay savings fund is likely to be paid out in the near future.
It comes after Women's Basketball Coach Kim Mulkey called for an overhaul of the PMAC, where LSU hosts its basketball games.
"Now's the time to talk about it... I'm gonna talk about it publicly now because we've got to get the resources and we've got to do what we have to do," Mulkey explained. "We don't need to put a coat of paint on it. It's time to either completely renovate it or build a new one next to it and tear that one down.