The construction of the East Campus has begun, according to a memo distributed Sept. 5 by Assistant Vice President David Dower.
Construction began with the installation of a dewatering system to retain soil in the case of rain, and planning for the excavation of the soil is anticipated to start in early October, according to the memo.
The announcement came after Dower confirmed with Skanska, the company in charge of the construction, that the area around the site had been properly secured. The construction will occupy the Nebraska parking lot located in the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and New Mexico Avenue.
Work on the dewatering system is expected to continue for several weeks, according to the memo. Dower also warned that installing the system would include driving steel beams into the ground, which would generate some noise in the area until the system is finished.
The clearing of the former parking lot began in mid-summer and was completed with the installation of a protective fence around the site.
The new campus will have three new residence halls and two academic buildings, according to the online overview of the construction.
The new residence halls will bring 590 more beds to AU, a relief for future undergraduates after three years of using lounges as temporary housing.
“We have experienced an increase in on campus housing demand this year, due in part to both the size of the first-year class as well as the increase in spaces available for juniors and seniors in Cassell Hall and the Nebraska Hall expansion,” said Chris Moody, assistant vice president of the Housing and Dining program.
Completion of the East Campus is anticipated by the summer of 2016.
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