The quad will buzz with new construction this summer, as work continues on construction of the new School of International Service building, expansion of the Kogod School of Business building, a new look for the Mary Graydon Center's facade and a renovation of Centennial Hall, according to university architect Jerry Gager.
SIS
Construction workers have started work on what will be a new home for SIS, a building designed to be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold-certified, a rating for environmental friendliness, The Eagle previously reported.
Workers have begun digging the area of the building site that will house an underground parking garage, and will continue for the next couple of months, according to Gager.
Once the giant hole has been dug, it will be sheeted and shored, he said. This involves shoring up the sides of the excavation site to keep the sides from falling down.
Gager said he expects the process to be completed in mid-July if weather conditions do not delay construction.
"Rain slows things down," he said.
Workers had to slow down work after the university did not receive permits by the expected date. They now expect to complete work during the late winter of 2010, Gager said.
"Getting SIS into a facility that they really deserve is very fulfilling," he said.
Liz Goc, a freshman in SIS, said although the building will be a good thing for the school, she thinks it was a shame the university did not complete it earlier.
Kogod
Construction continues to progress at the site of the old New Lecture Hall and Experimental Theatre building, into which the existing Kogod building will expand.
Workers are currently installing sheeting on the exterior of the building. Then the glass fiber reinforced panels - which will give the building its color and exterior appearance - will be installed soon, Gager said.
Most of the exterior work on the building will be complete when students return in August, but interior work will continue after that time, he said.
The indoor work currently includes setting up heating, air-conditioning and plumbing systems. While outside, the terrace-level connection, which will connect the existing building to the new site on the terrace level, is still under construction.
The expansion is set to open in January 2009, Gager said.
Hannah Carter, a senior in Kogod, said although she will not be able to use the new addition, it is still a great thing for the school.
"It's great for Kogod," she said. "Especially with the computer lab."
MGC
Workers will replace the "bridge" connecting the quad to the Butler Pavilion during a construction project this summer.
"It needs work," Gager said. "[We're] going to make it wider and extend it out to the quad."
Once workers construct and finish the new "bridge" this summer, they will place a canopy over it during winter break.
During this project, they will also renovate the front of MGC. This project will cover the entrance and provide a new set of doors and a new handicap-accessible ramp, Gager said.
Ashley Joyce, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, said the projects are "probably an unnecessary use of funds."
Joey Alfred, a junior in the School of Public Affairs, said the project is a good way for the university to spend money. The bridge will provide a more convenient alternative for students to get to the Tavern, Alfred said.
Centennial
Workers will renovate Centennial Hall over the summer, as they have done with one residence hall each summer. Students who return to the hall in August will see rooms with new carpeting and paint, as well as other minor repairs to the building, Gager said.
The Admission's Welcome Center, located in the hall's formal lounge, will also receive renovations to update the air-conditioning system, provide new carpet and add furniture and audio-visual equipment.
The renovation will better serve the presentation needs of the department, Gager said.
This project is scheduled to begin in a few weeks and requires no permits, according to Gager.
Summer
There will be some noise during the summer months, but Gager said he does not expect the noise to unbearable. Most of the projects are isolated from instructional space, he said.
Katie Sokolosky, a junior in CAS, said the projects are an inconvenience but will be helpful in the long run.
"The campus needs a little bit of a rejuvenation," she said. "[This is] a good start."
Gager said he is excited for all the work.
"It's good to have the academic part of the facilities come up to par and exceed par as [an] ongoing process that started in the residence halls," he said.
