A snapshot of future plans for the WSU Vancouver campus.
WSU Vancouver is a relatively young campus, established only in 1989, while classes on the campus grounds did not begin until 1996. With only 24 years on site, WSU Vancouver has many opportunities for growth and expansion.
Detailed in the “WSU Vancouver Master plan,” plans for a Life Science Building, undergraduate dorms and a new paved access point that leads directly to the Recreation Center’s annex and the outdoor sports fields may be in the campus’ near future. According to Bill Hooper, associate vice chancellor for Facilities Services and the WSU Vancouver Master plan, these have been in the works for several years.
On Feb. 13, an updated master plan was accepted by Clark County, though the actual date of development has yet to be determined. “We couldn’t have undergrad housing on campus before this approval. Now we have the approval, we just don’t have the means or the plans to do it yet,” said Hooper.
Since WSU is a public institution, it must request funding from the state of Washington. At this point, funding has been approved by Governor Jay Inslee and the Washington State Senate. The budget is pending approval by the Washington State House of Representatives before the university will receive the funding.
The current budget request for the construction of a Life Sciences Building, is projected to be completed in summer of 2023, according to WSU Vancouver Capital Planning & Development.
Hooper explained that construction will only be completed if the university receives the proper funding. “That project was the highest priority in WSU’s budget for funding in this calendar year, but it didn’t quite make it,” Hooper said. He said the predesigns of the building are finished, but between the design planning and the construction of the building, the project could take at least two to three years.
Lynn Valenter, vice chancellor for Finance and Operations, was the lead liaison for presenting the master plan to Clark County. She explained the budget for the design of the Life Sciences Building alone would be approximately $4 million. The budget for the construction of the building would be roughly $54 million, according to Valenter.
Although the school previously failed to receive funding for the design of the Life Sciences Building in the last biennial, Valenter said she believes it is something the House of Representatives is eager to approve. “It’s a lot like your personal budget, just because you don’t buy something new for your car, you had to choose food or something else this time, there are a number of worthy competing needs,” Valenter said.
She explained that although the funding has not yet been approved, they have received support advocating for funding from local legislators. “The house has been particularly supportive of mental health resources and so in the last session, they decided to devote most of our local resources to that, but our local legislators have been very helpful in trying to help us secure the funding,” Valenter said.
According to Valenter, the House of Representatives expect to finalize their budget this March. If funding is approved, Valenter will begin with a request for qualification to determine who they would be contracting with for the design of the Life Sciences Building, which would be located across from the Clark College Building.
Brody Voge is a junior at WSU Vancouver studying strategic communications.