SEMO to get nearly $4.1 million in federal money, will continue tunnel work

Southeast Missouri State University is receiving funding in the amount of $4,094,371 to repair and renovate some of the school's 66 underground tunnels which run over 2.2 miles beneath the Cape Girardeau campus.

With the money, five tunnels will see long-deferred mechanical, electrical, plumbing and information technology fixes in two phases beginning in May and continuing until the summer of 2023.

"The first phase of work will be on a long tunnel running under Normal Avenue to the old Dearmont Hall," said Dr. Brad Sheriff, vice president for finance and administration at Southeast, noting Dearmont has been used lately to house quarantined students due to the coronavirus.

Phase II work will be scheduled on four tunnels running from Serena Hall to Academic Hall and from Academic toward the University Center, he said.

The university completed work in the summer of 2020 on five other tunnels, part of a total "hit list" of 15 underground passages identified in 2018 as top priority for infrastructure improvement.

Cabling seen after completed tunnel repair on the SEMO campus in Cape Girardeau, Friday, January 8, 2021. Governor Mike Parson has released $4.1 million to Southeast for the repair of five additional underground tunnels beginning in May.courtesy Southeast Missouri State University

The tunnel work finished last year included repairing falling pipe stanchions and spalling concrete, emergency shoring up of ceilings and adding lighting.

Sheriff said even with this new funding, SEMO will have to find another $8 million to complete the job eventually.

Parson releases

Gov. Mike Parson announced the release of the funds Wednesday to SEMO, 12 other Missouri universities and the State Technical College of Missouri -- a total $68.1 million federal "budget stabilization" fund distribution.

"Public universities play a major role in their local communities (and) this has never been more clear than the COVID-19 crisis when higher education institutions have offered up facilities for ultra-cold vaccine storage, contributed to the state's PPE (personal protection equipment) supply chain and provided job training for unemployed Missourians," said Parson in a release.

"These funds will help provide much needed support to our public universities just as they have done for our communities," Parson continued.

Thanks expressed

"We're happy and grateful to the governor for the promise of this funding," said Sheriff, adding the $4.1 million represents a fully-funded request by SEMO administration.

Necessary isn't always fun

"Deferred maintenance is one of the hardest kinds of funding for universities to come up with," said Sheriff, adding donors tend to prefer to give to above-ground projects they can readily see.

"But we must do this work so necessary services don't degrade," he explained.

Schools had to submit their plans for funding in advance, said Sheriff, noting other universities had other needs.

"Projects like roof repair and updating an old boiler aren't flashy, but they are absolutely necessary to maintaining safe and effective learning environments for students," said Zora Mulligan, Missouri's commissioner for higher education, noting Parson has been advocate for deferred maintenance funding since his time in the Missouri Senate "when he championed legislation authorizing $400 million in bonds to repair college campuses and state buildings."

Sheriff said these federal pass-through funds will most likely be received by Southeast after SEMO expends the funds first.

"These monies may function effectively as a reimbursement," said Sheriff, who began his work as Southeast's top finance officer in August.