A proposal to overhaul the University of Connecticut Health Center into a bioscience research hub received a mixed reaction Thursday from lawmakers, some of whom praised its job-creation potential while others criticized its $864 million price tag, The Associated Press reports.
Officials from UConn and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s administration outlined his Bioscience Connecticut proposal to members of several legislative committees, hoping for a vote on the plan before the General Assembly adjourns June 8.
Some legislators praised the proposal, saying it would transform Connecticut into an incubator for cutting-edge bioscience research and businesses, create jobs and boost the number of home-grown doctors and dentists in the state.
Other lawmakers said they felt rushed to approve the plan — which was unveiled last week — without enough answers. They questioned the costs, effect on other Connecticut hospitals and why it wasn’t presented in the normal fashion through public hearings and committee votes.
Malloy’s proposal calls for a major renovation of the Farmington-based center’s John Dempsey Hospital to add a patient care tower, outpatient center and more parking.
It would also significantly expand bioscience research and training facilities, increase student enrollment in the UConn medical and dental schools and create a student loan forgiveness program for graduates who set up practice in Connecticut.
The project is estimated to create about 3,000 construction jobs each year between 2012 and 2018, and about 16,400 permanent bioscience-related jobs in Connecticut by 2037.
That was a selling point for some lawmakers, and drew dozens of construction trades workers to Thursday’s forum in support of the plan.
The Bioscience Connecticut plan still faces financial hurdles, though, including persuading the General Assembly to add $254 million to its long-term borrowing package. Concern over that money was a common refrain among some lawmakers at the forum.
The UConn Health Center has required millions in state aid in recent years to keep afloat, and several previous overhaul proposals to place it on firmer financial footing have stalled.
Advocates for the Bioscience Connecticut plan say this proposal is different because it looks at the center not as a liability needing a rescue, but as an asset that can be transformed by building on the state’s educated work force, technology and manufacturing savvy, location and research expertise.
Another component of the new package calls for $203 million in private financing, which Malloy has described as a blend of UConn fundraising and construction of a privately-financed, privately-owned structure at the center. UConn would occupy that building on a long-term lease.