Common Terms for Facilities
Acre: 43,560 square feet equals one acre of land.
Acreage (Maintained): A legislatively-requested designation that identifies the amount of land that has improvements, or is otherwise utilized, mowed, plowed, planted, or otherwise played on for sports or extra-curricular recreational type activities.
Acreage (Non-maintained): Natural areas that are either not maintained because of natural conditions or are in a state that do no require maintenance, such as wetlands, wilderness areas, forests, areas that are too steep for maintenance, areas planted with prairie or other grasses that do not require regularly weekly or monthly maintenance.
Area Classifications for Buildings: (refer to the three following classifications and the varying methods for calculating square footages of a building)
1. Assignable Square Feet or Net Assignable Square Foot (ASF or NASF): Sum of all space on all floors in a building available for assignment to an occupant for specific use according to the following room use categories: classroom, laboratory, office, study, special use, general use, support, healthcare, residential, or unclassified.
Assignable Area = Total square footage of area classified as dedicated spaces measured from inside wall to inside wall.
2. Net Useable Area or Net Square Feet (NSF): The sum of all areas on all floors of a building either assigned for a specific room use and areas necessary for the general operation (nonassignable area) of a building. Area taken up by structural building features should not be included in the calculation for Net Useable Area.
Nonassignable Area: The area required for the general operation of a building such as: building service areas (restrooms and storage areas), circulation areas (common spaces and hallways), or mechanical areas (boiler rooms).
Nonassignable Area = Building Service Space + Circulation Space + Mechanical Space.
Net Useable Area = Assignable Area + Nonassignable Area (measured from inside wall to inside wall)
3. Gross Square Feet (GSF): The sum of all areas on all floors of a building included within the outside faces of its exterior walls, including floor penetration areas. Gross area is calculated by physically measuring the outside faces of exterior walls.
Gross Area = Assignable Area + Nonassignable Area + Structural Area
Gross Area also = Net Usable Area + Structural Area
Easement: an interest in land in the possession of another which entitles the owner of such interest to a limited use or enjoyment of the land in which the interest exists.
Facilities Condition Audit: The results from evaluation of the cost and life expectancy of systems and the physical structure.
Gross Square Feet (GSF): Refer to "Area Classifications for Buildings" for the definition
Joint Powers Agreement or Joint Exercise of Powers: MN Statute 471.59 Subd. 1. Agreement. Two or more governmental units, by agreement entered into through action of their governing bodies, may jointly or cooperatively exercise any power common to the contracting parties or any similar powers, including those which are the same except for the territorial limit within which they may be exercised. The agreement may provide for the exercise of such powers by one or more of the participating governmental units on behalf of the other participating units. The term "governmental unit" as used in this section includes every city, county, town, school district, other political subdivision of this or another state, and any agency of the state of Minnesota or the United States, and includes any instrumentality of a governmental unit. For the purpose of this section, an instrumentality of a governmental unit means an instrumentality having independent policy making appropriating authority.
Lease: A contract for the use and occupancy of land or buildings. The rental rate is defined by the net usable area.
License: A contractual agreement governing the use and occupancy of land or buildings without the creation of a landlord - tenant relationship and related benefits.
Net Useable Area or Net Square Feet (NSF): Refer to "Area Classifications for Buildings" for the definition
Off-Campus Facility: A facility located some distance away from the educational institution that operates it.
Real Estate: Land, buildings and things permanently attached to land and buildings. Also called realty and real property.
