Show to Buy Metro Center Quentin Wells Special to the Globe The Board of Trustees voted Wednesday morning January 14 to the Metro Center acquire the former site of building downtown campus The acquisition must also by the State be approved but their Board Boara of Regents anticipated as the purchase pur- pur is ok solves a long standing stand stand- chase financial problem the ing experienced as asa has exp College result of opening the a Metro Center originally leased building the Metro n space in the T prudential Savings Formerly Building fr and Savings Center Me Metro t the opened than a X year ear more campus i College ege was The ago the building build build- forced dS to vacate 2003 fall o ing Sit Salt in Lake the City declared It unsafe concern The major or safety centered centered d dwi ert y wi with the thep prope ro artificIal p stone become on had panels w which nad from the theof the detached loose or of the buIld buIld- steel skeleton ing These posed a hazard in that they might fall several stories onto the roofs of adjacent buildings or onto the street and sidewalk The building has now been repaired and it is once again safe for use by students stu- stu students students stu stu- dents faculty and staff The College has negotiated ed a purchase agreement that will reduce substantially substantially substantial substantial- substantial ly the financial liability incurred under the terms of the old lease The building will be paid for using a low-cost low loan from Salt Lake City Redevelopment Agency RDA and time one-time dollars dollars dollars dol dol- lars from the Colleges College's reserve funds Owning the Metro Center will put back in control control control con con- of the schools school's future in inthe inthe inthe the downtown area The lease under which the Metro Center was originally originally originally opened proved roved to be beso beso beso so expensive that operating the metro campus would have been a continuing financial liability consee consee consee con- con see Metro on d r Metro continued from front page breaking the lease would have created f u e expense pense i h no o possible since the College would no longer have the Metro Center building to generate rev rev- Buying the Metro Center building will lay laythe laythe laythe the groundwork for this campus to become a productIve productive productive pro pro- part of and will allow the school to quickly resume service to students in the downtown area Plans are now being developed specifically aimed at making Metro a educational education education- sustaining self-sustaining al facility The Downtown Alliance the City the Salt Lake Chamber and many of our downtown neighbors neighbors neighbors neigh neigh- bors have expressed their support for this move and their appreciation of the great work we do in the community If we will embrace this new opportunity with as much enthusiasm as they've shown we cant can't help but be successful 5 i |