When the unmeasured benefits are asserted to exceed the costs I would say no to the funding (emphasis added) ...
It could cost as much as $3.5 million to redo the 76,000-square-foot roof, said Abby Shue, executive projects director for the arts center. The green design would cover about 51,000 square feet and could add as much as $1.5 million to the cost, while saving energy, [Abby Shue, executive projects director for the arts center] said.
“They will find a significant savings over the life of the roof,” said Cash Moter, architect with the Louisville firm Joseph & Joseph, which is working on the project. Just how much savings is still being calculated, he said....
Shue said the center, which is owned by the state, will request $3.5 million in funding from the Kentucky General Assembly, which reconvenes in January. ...
[The Metropolitan Sewer District] has promised to share some of the costs because the green roof would capture at least 1.7 million gallons of storm water every year, preventing it from running into sewers and contributing to contaminated overflows into the Ohio River, said Wesley Sydnor, a senior technical services engineer at MSD.
On Nov. 14, MSD committed to spending $114,523 to help offset the costs of the project. ...
... until those unmeasured benefits are quantified and shown to exceed the costs.