ESCANABA — Bay College recently finalized its list of priorities for capital outlay funding from the state of Michigan. The list was approved by the Bay College Board of Trustees during the board’s regular meeting for October, which was held at Bay’s Iron Mountain campus.

Bay Vice President of Operations Christine Williams said the approval of the list is routine for the board.

The board okayed this year’s list at its Oct. 17 regular meeting so that the college’s five-year capital outlay plan (which the priority list is included in) could be submitted to the state on time.

“Every year, the report is due on Oct. 31 to the state,” Williams said. If the state decides to provide capital outlay funding to Bay, the college will receive these funds in 2019.

Williams said items on the list were ranked based on high a priority they are for the college in terms of securing state capital outlay funding for each one. For 2018, the highest-ranked project on the priority list was the renovation of the Catherine Bonifas Building.

“That is the institution’s number-one priority for capital outlay from the state,” she said. In the priority list (which was included in the board packet for the Oct. 17 meeting), it was noted that this building was constructed in 1970, and — aside from a new roof in 2014 — it had not received any significant improvements since it was built.

The list also said that, if funded by the state, renovation work at the Catherine Bonifas Building would include “windows, doors, all new mechanical, plumbing, electrical, life safety systems, interior finishes, ADA compliance, wiring for automation, modernized classrooms, student study space, and vestibules on exterior entrances to enhance energy efficiency.”

According to Williams, this work would significantly improve the Catherine Bonifas Building. “The renovation of this building is an important project for accessibility and energy efficiency,” she said. The project would cost an estimated $1,880,000.

Williams said the Catherine Bonifas Building renovation was the only project on Bay’s priority list which could realistically receive capital outlay funding from the state next year. However, in keeping with state requirements, other projects were also included on the list.

The second project on the priority list was the Sustainability and Native American Cultural Center. Williams said that a Native American cultural center and a sustainability center have been included as separate items on the list for years.

“This year, we have an opportunity potentially to combine the two … into one facility,” she said.