October Construction Update

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

It’s October, and the academic year is well underway. Though there is always construction happening on campus, work in the Office of Campus Planning, Design and Construction (CPDC) is transitioning more toward planning for next summer and beyond. To keep you informed of what is in the works we have several events planned this month, and two upcoming feedback opportunities.

Upcoming engagement sessions include the following: The next Campus Framework forum will be held Saturday, Oct. 29, at 11 a.m. in Maxwell Auditorium. Also, October’s construction information session will be held Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 9:30 a.m. in 113 Heroy. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) will be available.

In addition to the aforementioned engagement opportunities, we will be hosting two additional feedback sessions shortly. The two sessions will be aimed at soliciting feedback about options for potential campus restroom signage and future furnishings for the University Place Promenade, respectively. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Please take this great opportunity for your voice to be heard, and to help shape the campus environment. An announcement regarding day, time and location of these sessions is forthcoming.

This month’s construction updates include:

Project Updates

  • Bowne Hall Renovation: Renovations continue on the first floor of Bowne Hall for the relocation of the Bursar’s Office and Cash Operations from Archbold. Project completion is anticipated in mid-December. Bursar’s Office and Cash Operations will relocate upon completion of the project.
  • Center for Science and Technology Siding Replacement: The siding project is complete. The contractor has remobilized to prepare to paint the exhaust stack on the roof. The contractor will establish a fenced-in material and equipment staging area in the lower area of the Q4 parking lot. Approximately eight parking spaces will be impacted for the duration of the work. The work will take place during the month of October.
  • Crouse College Masonry and Sloped Glazing Repair: Masonry repairs and improvements to the Crouse College façade are complete for this construction season. Additional masonry repairs and the installation of the new glass for the sloped skylights in room 400 will be completed next spring and summer. During the next several months the architect, Mesick, Cohen, Wilson, Baker Architects, will finalize a report detailing the work necessary for the remaining masonry repairs and finalize the selection of the glass for the skylight.
  • Day Hall: The design work for a bathroom renovation project has commenced for Day Hall. This project will convert the existing multi-user restrooms into accessible single-user restrooms and showers on all floors. A two-phase project is planned with Phase 1 construction in the summer of 2017 and Phase 2 construction taking place during the summer of 2018.
  • Falk College Café: The renovations to the café on the second floor of White Hall are nearing completion. Café construction was scheduled to be complete by the end of September, and the café was originally anticipated to be open to the campus by mid-October. Additional time is needed for startup and training on the new kitchen equipment. The café is anticipated to be open to the campus community in early November.
  • Falk College (White Hall): Architectural painted aluminum screening is proposed to be installed along the perimeter of the White Hall roof this fall to screen the view of the existing mechanical equipment on the roof. Delivery of the material is expected later in October and the installation will be complete by mid-November. A similar project was completed on the roof of Link Hall last spring.
  • Goldstein Student Center: A new single-user accessible restroom is planned for the second floor. Construction will begin in late fall.
  • Huntington Hall: A plaster repair project is planned for the lower level of Huntington Hall. The project design is complete and the University is seeking bids from contractors. The work is planned to be performed later this fall during nonbusiness hours. The plaster repair will take place in public corridors. Campus Planning, Design and Construction will communicate a schedule and the sequencing of the work to the building occupants when a contractor is selected.
  • Irving Garage Stair Maintenance: Repair work for the concrete stairs and railings is planned for the stairwell that is connected to the pedestrian bridge. CPDC is currently seeking quotes for this work with the intent of completing the work this fall. Additional information will be shared with the campus community as the schedule is confirmed during the next few weeks.
  • Link Hall Accessible Ramp and Auditorium Improvements: The construction of the new ramped entry on the east side (Sims Hall side) continues. Most of the work that is visible to the public is complete. Work on the snow melt system in the mechanical room continues. Some work that will be disruptive to the building will be scheduled for after hours and weekend hours. Requiring this work to be completed during nonbusiness hours has change the anticipated completion date to late November or early December. This project is among a number of accessibility improvement and classroom enhancement projects taking place on campus.
  • National Veterans Resource Complex: The planning and design for this exciting project continues to move forward. SHoP Architects has been on campus frequently in the past two months. SHoP has met Campus Planning, Design and Construction representatives and representatives from the Office of Veterans and Military Affairs to finalize the program and commence schematic design of the facility. The building, which will be built at the corner of South Crouse and Waverly avenues, will be a multiuse facility with a large auditorium for campus events. The ongoing abatement of Hoople Hall is nearing completion and demolition is scheduled for later this fall. Groundbreaking for construction of the new building is anticipated in the summer of 2017.
  • Schine Student Center Exterior Glass Door Replacement: Seven sets of new doors will be installed to replace all the glass entry doors at the Schine Student Center. The new doors will be installed one at a time, with particular scheduling sensitivity being paid to the main entry doors. Three sets of doors are complete. Two more sets of doors will be installed during the next few weeks. The main entry doors (campus side), first floor west entrance (Newhouse School side) will be replaced during Thanksgiving break. This project also includes adding electronic locking and card access on all doors at the building, a feature that is installed on almost all other University facilities.
  • Sims Hall Exterior Stairs: Concrete foundations and stair bases are complete at all five entrances. Temporary wood stair treads and railings have been installed until the new granite treads arrive. Delivery of the granite treads has been delayed to mid-October. The University is working with the contractor and the granite vendor to try to improve the delivery date for the granite. Upon the installation of the new granite stair treads measurements for custom railings will then be taken and new railings installed. Work continues on the mechanical room for the proposed snow melt system to be operable by the winter.

As a reminder, if you haven’t had an opportunity to read the draft Campus Framework, please visit campusframework.syr.edu. There you’ll find the draft Campus Framework, a public comment section and all the latest news and headlines.

If you have any construction-related questions, comments or suggestions, please email cpdc@syr.edu. For parking concerns, call Parking and Transit Services at 315.443.4652. And if you have questions pertaining to accessibility, contact Aaron Hodukavich, director and ADA coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and Resolution Services, at 315.443.2377 or ajhoduka@syr.edu.

Sincerely,

Pete Sala

Vice President and Chief Facilities Officer