After two years of ongoing construction students continue to wake up to the clanking, banging and drilling noises coming from outside their windows. There has been ongoing construction on campus in the last two years, particularly around the high rises. The college has been working on six projects throughout the Fall 2021 semester which are continuing into the Spring 2022 semester. Here is what you need to know and what to expect.
Construction began on Nov. 9, 2020, by the four high rises and Harrison Dining Hall. The goal of this project is to:
Create new pedestrian access through the core of campus from high rises to Hartwell Hall Create new social gathering spaces Create more accessible entrances to all buildings on campus Add more green spaces and plants, 200 + trees to campus Improve signage around campus Offer improved LED dark sky compliant lighting
A recent construction project on campus has caused a delay at the intersection of New Campus Drive and Commencement Drive, leading to The SERC and parking lots U and V. Here are the recent updates:
Redman Road to Commencement Drive is now completeConstruction is expanding from Commencement drive to the easternmost entrance of parking lot T Following Commencement this spring, construction will continue the work towards Cooper HallCompletion is expected before the Fall 2022 semester
The re-construction of New Campus Drive is promising expanded parking and ease traffic across campus. This includes replacing all underground utilities and moving Residence drive to along the railroad tracks, and in turn, relocate parking closer to the buildings. Work will begin after the Spring 2022 commencement.
The school plans to update Bob Boozer Field. However, field construction is delayed due to bad weather. Construction will resume when the weather improves. The work will also include a new ticket booth and restroom facility.
The newest addition to the cluster of construction projects on campus is taking place in The Union. If you plan on entering The Union by the ballroom, the entrance is closed for the foreseeable future. This began Jan. 24 and is expected to take one year to complete. It includes:
New restrooms Structural repairs Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning upgrades New finishes and windows
As construction continues, students who live on campus like Junior Kat Brown are frustrated by the slow pace.
“Dealing with construction was hard since my building in Perry was the farthest from all of my classes, and I had to walk the long way around the construction in the cold,” Brown said. “Sometimes the construction guys would park their equipment in the way, which would take up more time take to go around. For the dining hall situation, me and my friends picked Perry because it was the closest to Harrison, but without us knowing the construction got completely in our way and sometimes we would have to walk through the rubble.”
With no clear end of construction in site, students hope warm weather will bring easier travel and walking distances to campus life.