Video by Nick Blank 

The remaining $11 million required for renovating buildings 3 and 4, or Skinner-Jones Hall, was included in the $82.3 billion Florida budget passed Friday March 11.

The renovations of Skinner-Jones Hall were approved by the Florida Board of Governors (BOG) Sept. 3 along with seven other projects. However, the project was initially withdrawn by the state budget committees March 6.

It was the only project out of the seven that’s funding was not initially approved by the capital outlay budget, making the university the only state university not granted PECO (Public Education Capital Outlay) funds, which are reserved for funding school projects.

UNF President John Delaney said the removal of the project from the budget was an accident.

“This was the Board of Governors number one project. Basically it was a clerical error,” Delaney said. “They restored the money the next day.”

The Skinner-Jones Hall project cost $29.7 million and received funding the last two years.

Upon the release of the budget, senators and house representatives spoke out on behalf of UNF, requesting the budget be reconsidered.

“The area legislators, like Senator Aaron Bean went to the Senate and said, ‘Hey let’s get this back in,’” Delaney said.

An updated budget was released Wednesday, March 8, granting UNF the money needed to complete the renovations.

Delaney said he expects the Skinner-Jones Hall renovations to be completed in the fall of 2016. He said the Skinner-Jones Hall (north and south) will expanding into parking lot 7.

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