The University of Otago has appointed Octa Associates as the project manager of its $50 million to $100 million School of Dentistry upgrade.
This comes as the university continues to build its cash on hand - which as of the end of June stood at $138.788 million - in order to fund a number of large construction projects as part of its $358 million priority development plan.
Property services director Barry MacKay said Octa had been appointed project manager of the dental school ''upgrade and extension'', with Opus and Hames Sharley chosen as architects.
The project managers were working through options for the development and the final size would depend on which option was chosen by the university.
Octa Associates director David Booth said it was appointed project manager for the dental school project in June and was ''very excited'' to take on such a large project.
''A project of that scale is promising for our medium-term job prospects,'' Mr Booth said.
Rather than supporting new staff, the project would ''secure work'' for staff in its Dunedin office. According to a financial review tabled at yesterday's council meeting, the university was assessing ''options to reduce the expected cost'' of the School of Dentistry project.
A review of the school's space requirements had been completed and a series of value management sessions were planned, the report said.
Financial services director Grant McKenzie said in the report the project would be funded out of the university's $138.788 million cash on hand.
Chief operating officer John Patrick earlier declined to say whether it was considering using debt to fund projects on its priority development plan.
''The university is not going to speculate ahead of decision-making on such matters,'' he said.