The House of Representatives voted early Wednesday morning to authorize $254 million in bonds to overhaul the University of Connecticut Health Center and turn the Farmington complex into a bioscience research hub that advocates say will ultimately create thousands of new jobs.
Lawmakers passed the bill, 97-45, at 2:15 a.m. Wednesday, the final day of this year’s regular legislative session. Several Democrats joined many of the minority Republicans in opposing the bill.
Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is pushing for the project, which he proposed to the General Assembly last month.
“This is about creating new jobs, sustained economic development, and staking out the ground that will again make Connecticut a leader in an emerging industry,” he said in a written statement following the vote. “In my opinion, it’s a win-win. More than that, it sends a clear message and plants a very firm flag in terms of Connecticut’s commitment to being a leader in the bioscience industry.”
But the last-minute nature of the bill, plus the overall $864 million price tag and long-term borrowing costs, prompted criticism from Republicans and some Democrats.
“We are spending an awful lot of the taxpayers’ money and primarily rolling the dice,” said Rep. Jason Perillo, R-Shelton.
Proponents of the so-called Bioscience Connecticut initiative said it will create 3,000 construction jobs each year between 2012 and 2018, and more than 16,000 permanent jobs by 2037.
Malloy is the latest governor to embrace a plan to overhaul the UConn Health Center, first built in 1961. The site includes the University of Connecticut medical and dental schools, the John Dempsey Hospital and various outpatient services. The center has required millions of dollars in state aid over the years to keep it afloat financially.
Malloy’s proposal calls for a major renovation at the Dempsey hospital and adding a
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