“This has a lot of ripple effects,” said Mankato City Manager Pat Hentges.

One of the effects of a veto would be leaving MnDOT workers in a facility that’s no longer suited for modern highway equipment, according to Rep. Kathy Brynaert, DFL-Mankato.

“From MnDOT’s perspective, it’s a safety issue,” said Brynaert, chief sponsor of the funding in the House. “The trucks dwarf the space they’re supposed to maneuver in. ... The air quality is not up to standards.”

Even if the funding had been approved this year, an 18-month construction and move-in schedule would have left MnDOT workers and the city in their current buildings through 2008.

A delay may also drive up the price tag for the facility. In 2004 (when the Senate failed to approve funding) the price was $15.7 million. In 2005 (when neither the House nor the Senate included the project in their bonding bills) the cost was $16.6 million. By 2006 (when both bodies included the funding in their transportation bills but couldn’t reach consensus on other parts of the bill) the cost had risen to $18.2 million.