INDIANAPOLIS — The medical school campus planned for Downtown Evansville cleared a hurdle Thursday when Gov. Mike Pence included funding for the project in the budget proposal he sent to state lawmakers. But the level of funding proposed by Pence — $19.2 million — is just more than a third of what project partners have requested from the state to build the campus.
Pence’s budget fully funds the Indiana University School of Medicine portion of the project, but doesn’t include the combined $30.2 million in funding sought by the University of Southern Indiana and Ivy Tech Community College to locate programs at the campus.
That means if the General Assembly maintains Pence’s funding level, the building likely would be smaller in size. The timeline for construction could also move back due to the governor’s proposal to fund the project with cash provided during the fiscal year beginning in July 2016.
Debate on the project is just beginning this legislative session, and state lawmakers could opt to put funding for Ivy Tech and USI in the budget.
Mayor Lloyd Winnecke called the proposal a “great starting point.” Winnecke attended the State Budget Committee meeting Thursday at the Indiana Statehouse, where Pence’s proposal was unveiled.
Winnecke said his administration will work with Ivy Tech and USI in the next three months to help them make their case to the General Assembly to be included in the project. IU, which plans to locate its Evansville medical school at the site, is the “cornerstone” for the project, Winnecke said.
“This is the project that has to be funded first, so it makes sense the governor has identified this as the place to start the budget discussions,” Winnecke said.
State Auditor Suzanne Crouch, who was a state lawmaker when initial planning dollars were approved for the project, said the legislative process to write the new state budget is a marathon and not a sprint.
“It is a great, great day,” said Crouch, who served House District 78 before moving to the executive branch. “The governor recognizes this as a priority for the state of Indiana and has singled it out as a priority that is not only important to the health care for our region, but also for economic development and for job creation.”
Pence’s administration tried to prioritize funding for capital projects as “best we could,” said Chris Atkins, director of the state’s Office of Management & Budget.
“We feel like this starts the conversation about the medical school, and I also believe the IU component was the original request for the project funding itself, and we look forward to conversations about the other pieces going forward,” Atkins said.
IU officials said Thursday that it’s premature in the legislative process to talk about the ultimate size, design and timeline of the project.
“It remains IU’s intent to plan for the creation of a comprehensive, multi-institutional health education center in Downtown Evansville. We also remain committed to supporting our institutional partners in their pursuit of the necessary funding from the General Assembly for their portions of the project,” IU spokesman Mark Land said in a statement.
The almost $50 million requested of the state is higher than the original approximation of $35 million for the medical school, which will be located within the boundaries of Locust, Cherry, Southeast Fourth and Southeast Sixth streets.
The funding request grew from preliminary estimates when Ivy Tech and USI desired more space in the complex. USI plans to offer occupational therapy and health informatics programs, while Ivy Tech will conduct courses in health sciences and nursing. University of Evansville plans to offer classes in physical therapy and its physicians’ assistant program.
Pence’s proposal now goes to the House Ways & Means Committee — the first vetting ground for the budget in the General Assembly.