$p1.'Jv #4 Worth To All 3, U of M Students s AT THE ALL NEW a CE II All the newest electronic names! E. WILLIAM 1 BLOCK FROM STATE, COUPON GOOD ONL Y DURING THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER rM rn M ron -M -- -- J Page 20-Thursday, September 9, 1982-The Michigan Daily Hospita By BILL SPINDLE If a mail carrier only has to trudge through rain, sleet, and snow to finish the job, he or she probably has the envy of University Replacement Hospital planners. Rain, sleet,' snow or any other weather disturbance for that matter are almost welcome experiences for hospital officials, who so far have en- dured workers strikes, a long fight to win approval for a funding increase, and a drop in the state's bond rating. IN SPITE of the delays and funding concerns, though, the concrete con- tinues to be poured over the steel rein- forcing rods on the 180,000 square foot site, and planners say that the new hospital will be a "state of the art" facility for teaching, research and ad- ministering the highest quality health care possible. Also with the new facility, the medical school hopes to attract some of the top faculty and students in the world to teach, research and study at the University. From groundbreaking last October until the projected completion of the hospital in 1985, the University will 1 fights many elements '6 PICTURED IS an artist's rendition of the Replacement Hospital Project, set for completion in 1985. have invested alhost $100 million, the state will have chipped in $173 million (if it is able to sell the necessary bon- ds), and private gifts will have added $20 million to the project, according to University officials. The $285 million price tag may make the hospital the largest construction project in state history. BUT HOSPITAL planner Marsha Bremer says the new facility is worth it. The money invested, combined with foresight in planning, will enable the hospital to utilize the latest computer and communications innovations, she said. But Bremer is also quick to point out that the University has not tried to: achieve its goals through rampant spending. The $285 million price tag represents the lowest cost for achieving the project's goals, she said. "I think when it is complete it will be state of the art," says Bremer, "but it will by no means be a palace." A PALACE, though, is exactly what some state health officials have called the planned hospital. "It's a palace of halfway technology . To spend $285 million on gadgets won't help (health care)," said Chip Truskon, a former official of the Com- prehensive Health Planning Com- mission of Southeastern Michigan, which was involved in approving the project. Commission Director Terrence Carroll also raised some questions about the cost of the project. "How can (the University) afford to build a gran- diose hospital when they are so finan- cially strapped?" Carroll asked. BUT THE new hospital's troubles didn't stop with criticism of the price. With the state just preparing to sell the bonds to fund the new hospital project, Moody's investment service in New York lowered the State Building Authority's bond rating. The exact effects of the lowered bond rating are still uncertain, but if Moody's doesn't raise the rating by January-when the bonds are scheduled to be sold-the state could encounter trouble raising its share of the project's cost. HOSPITAL officials, however, are optimistic that state bonds to fund the project will be sold. Before officials even had a chance to catch their breath from the lowered bond rating, the project was hit with another setback-this time a strike by construction workers on the site. On June 1, three trades unions-the ironworkers, the operating engineers, and the teamsters-walked off the job,. delaying construction on the project. Later in the month the teamsters and the operating engineers came to an agreement with their contractors and returned to the job. Ironworkers; however, held off until early Jul before settling on a contract, putting the project six weeks behind schedule. Hospital officials are now trying to determine the cost of the delays to thd project. Anti-nuke movement shouts and squirms (Continued from Page 17) THE FOLLOWING month, when it came time for the city to test the sirens again, the protestors were there, but the sound wasn't. City officials pulled: the plug on the siren, trying to avoid the disturbance. But the city was unsuc-- cessful in its efforts, as the protestors- many in costume and with painted faces-screamed and then fell to the street again anyway. Die-in organizers say they plan to stage repeat performances in the fall. Local supporters of the nuclear freeze movement were among those who presented state officials in May more than 375,000 signatures suppor- ting a November ballot proposal on the freeze. Besides petitioning on the Diag and around Ann Arbor, University students gathered 8,000 Detroit signatures for the proposal, which would compel the state legislature to call for a bilateral halt to the production of nuclear arms; "The students did a tremendous job for because wew beyour Our ReadyTellers are among the most popular night spots in Ann Arbor. They may not offer you fun and frivolity. But they do let you make deposits ... pay bills ... access your Interest-On-Checking account.. .and withdraw the cash it takes to keep your good times rolling. ReadyTeller is available to all Ann Arbor Bank and Trust checking and savings customers. You can use it at nearby locations all over town, on campus and off. And the only ID you need is a ReadyCard and your personal identification number - which you can sign up for at any of our 18 convenient locations. Next time you're out on the town, visit one of our 14 popular night spots. They're close by. They're always open. And there's absolutely no cover charge for a ReadyCard.