Jane Huh
Daily Egyptian
Construction and renovation for educational buildings, residence dorms, dining halls and a parking lot entrance are nearing the final stages, ready to offer an improved look and feel to the campus this fall.
On-campus residence halls Bailey, Mae Smith and Neely, Grinnell and Trueblood Dining Halls, Pulliam Hall and the parking lot entrance by the Student Center underwent various alterations during the summer.
Of the seven ongoing projects, Mae Smith's $375,000 window-screen replacement project and Pulliam's $177,000 addition are finished, but the remaining renovations are set for completion by fall semester.
After Pulliam Hall's addition is complete, students in industrial programs such as blacksmithing under the School of Art and Design will be able to work in a new industrial wing.
Bailey Hall, located in Thompson Point, will have a renovated roof by the end of the month. Neely Hall's elevator rehabilitation and an upgrade for Trueblood Dining Hall are also expected to be finished this month.
The upgrades for Trueblood and Grinnell Dining Halls, which will be completed shortly after fall semester, include better lighting, new service counters and ceiling repairs.
One of the most visible changes on campus will be the $125,320 relocation of the parking lot 10A/10B entrance. The Physical Plant, in conjunction with the Illinois Department of Transportation, will move the entrance west toward the garage as a way to smooth out the flow of traffic.
"Last week, we pulled out the curbs and put gravel, and now they're working on the lighting," said Roger Hines, the Physical Plant's construction project coordinator. "I think we'll have no problem meeting the deadline."
Other ongoing construction and renovation projects such as the softball complex, located across the Student Recreation Center, and Altgeld Hall/Old Baptist Foundation, will continue on for the next year.
The softball complex should be finished before the softball season on March 1. In addition to a new, lighted 700-seat stadium, the $1.5-million construction will include a press box, locker and shower rooms and offices.
Altgeld's $10.4-million renovations, which began earlier this year, are projected for completion in August or September 2003. The building is more than 100 years old and has never had any major renovations, Hines said. Aside from the building's internal renovations, an enclosed passage will link the building to Shryock Auditorium.
A temporary ramp across from Anthony Hall and at the bottom of the U.S. Route 51 overpass will remain until the next semester begins. Hines said the ramp was constructed because structural damage of steam tunnels required extensive repair work.
About 17 more projects are in the bidding stages or early stages of construction. Some of the major projects include a 500-foot bridge across Lincoln Drive, refurbishing the 1,150-foot concrete bridge on U.S. Route 51, Lincoln Drive's relocation of the intersection at U.S. Route 51 and renovations of Morris Library.
For the time being, D.R. Huppert, superintendent of construction management, said the projects are developing at an efficient pace with no hindering conflicts.
"Things are running pretty smoothly. Things are ahead of schedule," Huppert said. "It's been a really good summer as far as construction goes, and we've accomplished a lot."
Reporter Jane Huh can be reached at jhuh@dailyegyptian.com
Published on 11/17/05; 12:24:44 PM
