UB owes $965 million in deferred maintenance fees, officials say

UB is facing approximately $965 million in deferred maintenance fees accumulated over “many years,” University Facilities told The Spectrum.  

While the university receives about $20 million per year in state funding for critical maintenance work, maintaining nearly 200 buildings across three campuses presents “significant challenges,” Tonga Pham, associate vice president of University Facilities, said in an emailed statement to The Spectrum. 

“While we are very grateful to Governor Hochul and the members of the Western New York State delegation for this funding, maintaining nearly 200 buildings across three campuses presents significant challenges, particularly as our aging facilities require extensive structural, electrical and mechanical repairs,” the statement read. 

UB had faced a number of maintenance issues in recent years, including water leakage in several buildings, hot water shortages in student apartments and a burst pipe in Clemens Hall. 

Large-scale projects — such as the renovations of Foster and Crosby halls — and routine cleaning and maintenance services are funded from sources outside of the critical maintenance budget. There are also reserves to address unexpected maintenance emergencies, Pham said. 

The university’s maintenance fees make up nearly a tenth out of the total $10 billion deferred maintenance backlogs at State Universities of New York (SUNY) and City Universities of New York (CUNY), with lawmakers urging Hochul to fund a “multi-year capital program.” 

Hochul’s 2027 executive budget details a five-year plan to support $3.5 billion in infrastructure improvements for SUNYs, with $595 million for critical maintenance — an increase of $45 million from last year. 

For now, the university will continue to prioritize maintenance needs each year based on “urgency, risk and the level of funding we anticipate receiving,” Pham wrote.

The news desk can be reached at news@ubspectrum.com.