Minor construction projects completed during winter break
Nine campus construction projects during winter break were completed by Jan. 8.
The work is estimated at almost $300,000.
Mechanical upgrades were applied to the North Art Studio, which included installing a make up air system and a new interior wall and doors, budgeted at $220,000. Make up air is replacement air drawn from the outside and heated or cooled to replace air lost from opened doors or exhaust hoods.
“When you have a heating system that uses forced air, you have to bring in outside air and heat it up or cool it up, depending on the season,” said Vice President of Facilities Management Steve Lawrence. “Some of it leaks out of the building because people open doors and there’s exhaust hoods in the building that suck air out, so we have to replace the air and keep it in balance.”
The updates also included the refurbishment of one new turnstile and installation of two replacements in the Student Activity Center, budgeted at $13,000, and the conversion of a men's restroom into unisex restroom on the basement floor of Anspach Hall, budgeted at $17,500.
The exact costs of the projects will not be available until contractors send invoices, which typically takes weeks, Lawrence said.
“Things wear out because a lot of the buildings are old,” Lawrence said. “We do the construction work when students aren’t here so it doesn’t interrupt their studies.”
Flooring containing asbestos was removed from Rowe Hall to prepare for new flooring to be installed at a later date in the HR 108 and 109 suites, budgeted at $36,000. The Grawn Hall attic and Warriner Hall tunnel 015 also underwent asbestos abatement.
