July Construction Update

We appreciate our campus community’s patience with the large amount of utility projects taking place this summer. Much of our work has already been completed, and we are well underway with campus renovations and improvements that will be ready by the start of the fall semester. Please continue to be mindful of the closed sidewalks due to the utility construction in the area of Hendricks Chapel, Steele Hall and the Physics Building. Please continue to follow the pedestrian signs and sidewalk closed signs. These sidewalks are scheduled to be reopened by mid-August. 

My colleagues and I continue to work on a number of important projects, including the following:

Crouse College and Maxwell Hall: Maintenance and masonry repairs for these two buildings have commenced and will continue to mid-August. The masonry contractor will be working from scaffolding on the west side of Maxwell Hall and utilizing a boom lift working around Crouse College.

Parking Area Maintenance: Concrete repairs have commenced in all six parking garages. Lawrinson and Adams are close to completion. Work in all of the garages will be substantially complete by the start of the semester. Some repair work in the garage stairwells may continue into early fall. Paving of parking lots is ongoing. Shaw lot is complete; Haven will be complete by mid-July; and Q5 will be complete by the end of July.

Campus Utility Upgrades:

  • The replacement of the water valves along Comstock Avenue and sewer repair at Booth Garage are complete.
  • Utility upgrades in the Q-1 parking lot are nearly complete. Restoration of the Q-1 lot and re-installation of the concrete sidewalk along the north side of Heroy are underway.
  • Replacement of the lighting, pavers and trees in the Q-1 lot will begin this month to create a consistent appearance throughout the lot.
  • Utility work along University Place from the entrance of the Hillside lot to Crouse Drive is underway and on track to be complete in early August.
  • Existing steam and condensate lines and steam vault work is proceeding well along Forestry Drive in the area of the Sadler Circle and the Dome loading dock. This utility work is expected to be complete in mid-August. Restoration of the roadway and adjacent areas will continue into the early fall.

Hall of Languages Classroom Renovations: Phase two of a three-phase project is progressing on schedule. This summer’s project is composed of renovations to five classrooms on the west side of the building. Similar to last year’s improvements, these classrooms will receive updated finishes and new classroom audio-visual technology. Next summer’s project, phase three, will include renovations and technology upgrades to the large lecture classrooms, rooms 107 and 207.

Classroom and Accessibility Technology Updates:

Residence Hall Improvements:

  • Day Hall: Installation of new flooring, wardrobes and IT infrastructure, and painting have begun in the student rooms. Furnishings, new doors and new door hardware will be installed in late July. The new plumbing and HVAC infrastructure for the bathroom renovations are almost complete.
  • Lyons Hall: Upgrades to student room finishes, new wardrobe closets and new lounge furniture.
  • Brewster Brockway Boland Plaza: Demolition is complete; the new waterproof membrane and drains begin installation this week for the plaza renovation that includes the construction of an accessible ramp to Brockway dining, new pavers, landscaping and outdoor furniture. Construction of the new accessible ramp will begin next week, including the installation of the new snowmelt system.
  • Brockway Dining Hall: Demolition is complete, while new plumbing/electrical/HVAC infrastructure work is ongoing. There will be a full renovation of the dining area, including updated finishes and new furniture, as well as a revised servery layout with additional food options.

Physics Building: Construction has commenced for the new single-user accessible restroom on the first floor.

Hendricks Chapel: The replacement of the roof of Hendricks Chapel has begun. The roof replacement is a portion of the HVAC improvements that are planned for the chapel. The roof will be complete this summer. The HVAC improvements will occur throughout the academic year and are scheduled to be completed by May 2019.

National Veterans Resource Center: Construction of the building foundation continues. Over 1,400 cubic yards of concrete have been placed during the last month. Much of the concrete work is taking place in the pre-dawn hours to minimize the impacts to the traveling public around campus. Remember to monitor the progress at the NVRC website.

Archbold Gymnasium: Utility work in Sims Drive is proceeding on schedule. The mass demolition of the building is complete. Foundation preparation work has started for the south end of the facility (Building C) for the new foundation. Framing of the walls within the northern end of the facility (Building A) is 75 percent complete. We encourage you to keep up with the construction progress through the live webcam.

A full listing of summer construction projects is updated and listed by building on the Campus Planning, Design and Construction (CPDC) website. Please refer to this website periodically to see what is occurring across campus, and feel free to reach out to the CPDC manager assigned with any questions you may have. For everyone’s safety, I encourage you to remain alert in work areas for route changes, follow the pedestrian signs, and visit the CPDC Impact/Road Closure webpage for additional information.

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.

If you have questions pertaining to accessibility, please contact the Office of Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and Resolution Services at 315.443.4018, ADA@syr.edu, or equalopp@syr.edu.

Sincerely,

Pete Sala
Vice President and Chief Facilities Officer