The new School of International Service building is steadily heading towards its scheduled May 2010 completion, according to Director of Development Morris Jackson.
Since the groundbreaking ceremony in November 2007, AU has seen the construction site evolve from a gaping hole to a sizable building, with few significant setbacks, said Carl Elefante, director of Sustainable Design for the architecture company Quinn Evans.
The building’s construction is on schedule and within its budget, Elefante said. However, many rocks found underground hindered the excavation and building process, causing day-to-day problems, he said.
Despite the extra drilling and costs incurred, the building’s completion is still expected to be on time, Elefante said. The building will be exceptionally environmentally-friendly upon completion — a specific request from AU.
Problems with the crane set the project back two weeks and the time will probably not be made up, said Ron Watson, a supervisor of the construction site.
“Once you get behind, you never catch up,” Watson said.
However, the process has generally gone smoothly and the building will turn out well once the construction is completed, according to Watson.
“When it’s done and the windows and landscaping are finished, it will be outstanding,” he said.
According to the SIS Web site, “The new SIS Building should capture the school’s distinctive excellence in international affairs education, professional training and international exchange and should provide the physical structure to take the school to an even higher level of international service leadership.”
AU’s goal is to raise $25 million for the new building, scholarship and academic programs, according to the Web site. As of March 9, 2009, it had raised over $14 million. Members of the SIS community, including alumni faculty, staff, students and friends, have donated all of the money, Jackson said.
Although the ultimate financial goal is yet to be obtained, Jackson said he is “delighted there are many alumni who are stepping and contributing.” The donations are especially appreciated because of the economic recession, Jackson said. The developers are still looking for a donor to name the building after.
Blair Coward, a senior in SIS, is excited for the building’s completion, even though she is graduating before it is finished.
“I am very excited about the prospect of the new building because it will centralize one of our university’s largest and most nationally recognized program,” she said. “So far it looks gorgeous, and I can only imagine what it will look like when it is done … Continuous improvement on all fronts will only enhance the value of our degrees in the future and give us something wonderful to come back and visit.”
Students should be able to use the building starting in the fall 2010 semester, Jackson said.
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