Hartford — A $15 million investment in infrastructure at the University of Connecticut’s Avery Point campus was approved by state representatives, 120-21, in the early hours Wednesday, but Sen. Andrew Maynard, D-Stonington, said that is not enough.

“We are happy about it, but that doesn’t do a damn thing for academics. So when people say ‘$15 million down there’ it is essentially maintenance of waterfront — which is needed but represents, in my view, a very small first investment in realizing the full potential of Avery Point,” Maynard said Wednesday.

The Senate had passed the bill by a 29-5 vote. It now heads to the governor for his signature.

Before the vote on a $1.55 billion investment in the university’s infrastructure at several campuses, Maynard met with Senate President Pro Tempore Donald Williams, D-Brooklyn, and UConn President Susan Herbst to argue for more than $15 million for Avery Point. The meetings resulted in a commitment from Herbst to come up with a plan and timeline for development of the Groton campus, Maynard said.

On Wednesday afternoon, UConn Provost Mun Choi said the university would work with Battelle, a global research and development corporation, to identify investment opportunities for STEM — science, technology, engineering and math — education research and innovation at Avery Point. The research would be completed over the next six months, he said.

“I would say the message was received fully, and we are taking folks on their word that they are serious about sorting out a plan for the campus,” Maynard said.

The delegation from southeastern Connecticut supports the plan, he said.

Choi said the university does not yet have an estimate as to how much might be allocated to the Groton campus. He said the investment in Avery Point will depend on the campus’ ability to provide more faculty research opportunities, including working with entrepreneurs in the region to develop technologies related to marine science and coastal engineering.

“We currently have a lot of strength and have opportunity to grow, especially with the entrepreneurs in the region,” Choi said.

Maynard said development at the campus, a former mansion property on Long Island Sound, could take five to eight years and the plan might include tearing down the research and development building and adding a new academic building near or at that location, as well as a dormitory.

The university has resisted building dorms at its satellite campuses, but dorms are being built at the Stamford campus, Maynard said.

Avery Point also could have a conference facility for coastal science studies, “not enormous, just a place where you could have a capacity of people come for lectures, conferences and events, sizable enough that it would be able to host people from around the country,” Maynard said.

The co-chairmen of the General Assembly’s higher education committee, Williams and members of the local delegation will be invited to tour the campus soon to talk about the project, he said.

Of the funds already approved for Avery Point, $10 million is for renovating two buildings and $5 million is for improving the dock used for research vessels.

Campus Director Michael Alfultis said he would like to put offices, bathrooms and a classroom in the original Morton Freeman Plant boathouse. The $5 million won’t allow Avery Point to splurge, but he said he thought the campus could get what it needs done.

Renovations will include academic, community and professional buildings, which house such graduate level workforce development programs as nursing, teaching and engineering.

The total UConn bond package — $1.55 billion — will be released over a 10-year period and will be paid back over 20 years. It will cost about $2.4 billion over two decades, including $814,300 million in interest, according to the bill.

Much of the bond will be used for upgrades such as STEM facilities, teaching and research labs for additional faculty and students, and equipment for new faculty.

The lawmakers also passed, as part of the state budget, $137 million from the general fund to increase total enrollment by 6,580 students, a 30 percent increase, as well as 259 faculty members at the Storrs and Stamford campuses. Projections indicate the School of Engineering’s enrollment would increase by 70 percent, the number of STEM graduates would increase by 47 percent, and the school would offer 1,400 new, full scholarships for STEM students.

Investments in infrastructure, scholarships and faculty and student positions over the next 10 years are expected to attract $270 million in research dollars and $527 million in business activity, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said in February. More than 4,000 permanent jobs and 30,000 construction jobs also would be created, he said.

In a press release Wednesday, the governor said, “I applaud Speaker Sharkey and the legislature for their action on this bill. It will support a major expansion at UConn, bring thousands of jobs to the state, and attract millions of dollars in research investment and business activity.”

Maynard said he is happy about the $15 million for maintenance of the dock and boathouse, but it’s been 22 years since there has been a “substantial” investment in Avery Point.

“I think we could yield lucrative return for the university and the economy. I don’t know why we haven’t been able to get that achieved before this,” Maynard said.

When asked why this wasn’t done earlier, Choi said, “We are currently in the process of developing an academic and strategic plan now. This will help us better inform and develop our resource allocation. … I think the timing is very appropriate.”

j.somers@theday.com