Truman State University’s Board of Governors recently approved plans to hire engineers to assess replacing the Greenwood building’s windows. After the assessment, the University will move forward to spend half a million dollars from the state to replace half of the building’s windows.
We, The Index Editorial Board, believe the decision to move forward with the Greenwood building renovation is a mistake. We are by no means against the creation of an autism clinic for northeast Missouri, but we do not think the University should spend money to restore a building to create the clinic. While the autism clinic might be supported by state representatives, the lack of commitment to funding the project is troublesome. There are many other options that would work just as well, such as renting an existing space, like their plans with A.T. Still University for the pilot program, or even building an entirely new building, both of which would save the University money in a time of budget cuts.
In an interview with The Index last week, University architect Mark Schultz said, “If we need to put a new clinic in, I would definitely not try and adapt [the Greenwood building]. The decision was made elsewhere, not in this office, to try and rehab it.”
The decision to undergo the building renovation seems to have been made years ago under the assumption the state would fully fund it, but as time goes on, the circumstances have changed. It is no longer economically viable to move forward with this new project, especially as other University programs are being cut.