Construction workers rest while working on the new Honors College, Stopher and Johnson halls. The buildings are scheduled to open in Fall 2006.

Credit: Beth Rankin

Orange cones, yellow caution tape and gray fences blocking everything off. Yes, summer has arrived on campus.

Construction projects vary from the baseball field to the residence halls with priority focused on the latter.

“Any project involving residence halls takes priority. Since it needs to be done by fall, there is no time for delay,” said Tom Euclide, director of architecture and engineering. Euclide said the esplanade project near the M.A.C. Center is also a priority because it is such a large project area.

That project will create a public entrance to the Center. The university will also install a new athletic resource center and replace the roof near the front entrance.

Euclide said residence hall projects include renovating Koonce Hall toilets and shower rooms and the completion of the new Honors College, Stopher and Johnson halls.

Campus-wide electrical improvements are also underway. Main distribution panels, which will upgrade the medium voltage distribution, will be installed in Bowman, Satterfield, Lake, Olson, Stopher and Johnson Halls in addition to the Business Administration Building and the Michael Schwartz Building. The University Library is also undergoing an electrical distribution upgrade.

The construction has affected many areas of the campus. Bowman Hall has no air conditioning while its water systems are renovated.

Walking around campus is more difficult because of the increase of detours and parking lot closures. Janik Drive is closed east of the Johnson and Stopher construction site. Additions and renovations to Kent Hall have limited wheelchair access to Kent and McGilvrey Halls. The new entrance to McGilvrey is the east entrance through the inside of Kent Hall.

The Student Center renovations have also made navigation more difficult. Construction near the north entrance has made it necessary to re-route the back walkway. Also, the first row of the visitors parking lot is closed until July.

Most projects are not scheduled to end until mid-August.

In addition to these projects, a few projects are still pending. These include artificial turf replacement at Dix Stadium, renovations at Franklin Hall, the expansion of parking lot R-19 and shower upgrades at Verder and Prentice Halls.

Contact general assignment reporter Deanna Stevens at [email protected].