Although the renovation of Nebraska Hall and the first floor of Mary Graydon Center recently opened up, a number of other construction projects are in progress on campus. These projects include constructing a new School of International Service building, expanding the Kogod School of Business into the adjacent New Lecture Hall and building a canopy over the walkway connecting the Butler Pavilion with the Friedheim Quadrangle.
New SIS building
Construction documents have recently been finished by Whiting-Turner, the general contractor, and turned over to AU, University architect Jerry Gager said. "The initial draft was a little high [on prices]," Gager said. "[We will see] what details need to be adjusted to bring down the budget." Some items can be changed to keep the project on budget, such as using different windows. By the end of October, "value-engineering" will be complete, he said, which means finding cheaper items to cut the cost of the project. Before any construction can begin, the university must receive the correct building permits from the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. A request for an excavation permit, which allows the university to build the building at ground level, has already been submitted, Gager said. The university should receive the excavation permit within the next four to eight weeks, Gager said. The permit to build the entire building will be submitted soon, and that could take eight months to receive, Gager said. However, exactly when construction will begin is unclear. Before a hole can be dug, the project must receive approval from the university president and "presumably the board of trustees," Gager said. Gager said his best guess is that construction could start in October. "[We] prefer to dig in the winter when it's frozen," he said. "It's not messy." Caitlin Potratz, a graduate student in SIS, said she is happy the construction process is moving along. "It's a really nice building," Potratz said. "Unfortunately, I wont be able to take advantage of it." The larger building should help unify the school, since faculty offices tend to be in a different building than many SIS classrooms, Potratz said. "It's difficult to get a hold of faculty," she said. "It's a little disconnecting."
The 'bridge' project
There are plans to build a canopy, similar to the one outside Nebraska Hall, over the walkway connecting the Butler Pavilion with the main quad during the summer of 2008, Gager said. Originally plans called for constructing a small multi-purpose room next to the Terrace Dining Room. The walkway would have run through the addition. The university canceled the plans after realizing construction would go over the budget, The Eagle previously reported. Under the new plans, the walkway, which will be designed by Gager's office, will be covered but still open to the elements, he said. During this project, the first floor of the Mary Graydon Center will be expanded outward toward the quad into the area where the steps in front of the building are now located. "It will have the AU traditional historical look," Gager said. However, one student says she believes the funds could be used differently. "Funds could go to other things than a canopy idea," said Katherine Broadhead, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Kogod expansion
The New Lecture Hall is being demolished in order to connect the existing Kogod building to it and add an additional nine instructional spaces. Construction is on time and the university is currently awaiting the building permit from the District. AU should receive that permit within two to four weeks, Gager said. "We check that every day," he said. However, waiting for the permit has not delayed the project, Gager said, because demolition can proceed without a permit. "It hasn't slowed us down yet," he said. "When that happens, we'll be upset." Within the next month, construction crews will begin to take off pieces of the roof on the existing Kogod building where the new building will connect. During late winter or spring, the wall will be knocked down to connect the two buildings. The building is expected to be finished by fall 2008. Potratz said the noise from the construction could be distracting. "It's a distraction when outside," she said. "A lot of students like to take advantage of sitting on the green." However, Gager said that while it is hard to tell how loud or disruptive it will be, everyone will remain informed. "[The] goal is to finish next year, that will take some patience," he said.
School of Communication
There are plans for the McKinley building to be renovated into the new School of Communication, The Eagle previously reported. However, these plans are on hold, pending approval of the university's fundraising efforts, Gager said. Gager's office has provided fundraising material to SOC, which will work on raising money. "We provide material, but it's really not in our realm," he said.
