A proposed project to rebuild the Marine Science Institute, which was damaged in Hurricane Harvey, was approved Monday by the University of Texas System Board of Regents. The project will help the institute come back into full operation, according to Marine Science Institute leadership, and it will pay for replacing roofs and mechanical systems, supporting interior and exterior restoration of numerous buildings damaged in the storm, rebuilding a research pier that was destroyed by a drilling ship in the aftermath of the storm and replacing student housing.
University of Texas at Austin President Gregory Fenves released a statement in the wake of Monday's decision to authorize the use of up to $16.5 million in bonds from the Permanent University Fund.
"MSI is critical to UT Austin's research mission," Fenves remarked. "It is also a vital institution for Port Aransas and the Gulf Coast, and the university is fully committed to rebuilding MSI after the destruction of Hurricane Harvey."
The Marine Science Institute campus is the largest employer in Port Aransas, and all of its buildings, totaling more than 80, experienced damage as a result of being in the direct path of the storm.
"We're now in a position to get our scientists and students back into the laboratory, campus housing and classrooms," said Institute Director, Dr. Robert Dickey. "Like the rest of the Port Aransas and surrounding communities, we have a long road to recovery and I'm happy to see some light at the end of the tunnel."
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