DelTech asks state for $24.8M for ‘critical’ capital needs

DelTech is asking the state for nearly $25 million for different projects. (Photo from Delaware Technical Community College)

Delaware Technical Community College is asking the state for $24,815,300 for next fiscal year in order to address critical capital needs. 

DelTech President Mark Brainard told the Joint Capital Improvement Committee in a hearing Tuesday that there’s six projects that the college is prioritizing as ‘critical,’ which amount to a price tag of $19.8 million. 

Here’s how DelTech would spend the money:

• $7,428,500 on entrance renovations, heat pumps, fire alarm and a chiller for its Stanton campus
• $4,771,200 on roof, HVAC and technology updates for its Wilmington campus
• $4 million on chiller replacements and air handling units for its Georgetown campus
• $2,199,700 on the Terry Building for its Dover campus
• $1,345,900 for public safety, paving, accommodations for disabled individuals, lighting and project contingency throughout all four campuses.
• $1,000 for mechanical upgrades, masonry repairs and a chiller for its Dover campus

The Joint Capital Improvement Committee, also known as the Bond Committee, is made up of six state representatives and six state senators. It is responsible for writing the annual Bond Bill, which supports capital projects.

In addition to the $19.8 million, DelTech is requesting $3.5 million for minor capital improvements, $300,000 for technology and $1.2 million for expanding the parking garage on its Wilmington campus. 

“We’ve always got technology needs at the four campuses,” Brainard said. “The one item that’s been hanging on the list over time is a parking garage expansion at Wilmington because we’re landlocked there.”

RELATED: College budget hearings bring up safety, salary concerns

Gov. John Carney’s proposed 2024 budget for higher education already mentions:

• $20 million – Deferred maintenance, capital improvements and technology upgrades at DelTech.
  • $932,000 – Year 3 of the DelTech Compensation Stabilization Plan to reduce faculty and staff turnover.

Enrollment dropped by 2,000 since the beginning of the pandemic, but the school still primarily serves First Staters. 

“96% of our 13,000 credit students are Delawareans,” Brainard said. “That reflects that we remain focused on our mission serving Delawareans and Delaware businesses.”

Jarek Rutz

Raised in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Jarek earned a B.A. in journalism and a B.A. in political science from Temple University in 2021. After running CNN’s Michael Smerconish’s YouTube channel, Jarek became a reporter for the Bucks County Herald before joining Delaware LIVE News.

Jarek can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at (215) 450-9982. Follow him on Twitter @jarekrutz