Vol. 20, No. 1 |
Sept. 7, 2000 |
Major construction and renovation efforts continue;
summer projects include mini-park, stadium lights
Hullihen Circle presents a new gateway to the campus. The results of extensive summer renovation and construction projects–as well as ongoing campus building improvements–greeted students and faculty when they returned to Newark. One of the most visible projects, completed in mid-August, is Hullihen Circle, which has been transformed from a parking lot and driveway into an attractive park-like gateway to the campus. Located between Hullihen Hall and Morris Library at the intersection of South College Avenue and Kent Way, the Hullihen Circle project was designed to improve safety and pedestrian accessibility, according to UD landscape engineer Tom Taylor. The new walkway features a central circle with converging walkways, giving pedestrians convenient access to Memorial Hall, Morris Library and Hullihen Hall. The central curving pathway features brick pavers. A brick wall about 30 inches high, topped with ironwork, encloses the new setting on South College Avenue, providing increased visibility for pedestrians in the area. To compensate for lost parking, an expanded parking section was created south of the Morris Library. That parking lot now has a new handicap ramp that connects users to the library's main entrance and a similar ramp provides access from the new park area. Three other major, high-visibility construction projects–the new Academy Street project, renovation and expansion of DuPont Hall addition and renovation and expansion of Wolf Hall–started in the summer months and are well under way.
An artist's rendering of DuPont Hall's new face
Construction on the Academy Street project, where steel structures can be seen south of the Perkins Student Center, will continue until next March or April. When completed, it will include a two-story, 38,000-square-foot office building and a three-tier, 148,000-square-foot parking deck, which will accommodate approximately 500 vehicles. Career Planning Services, Human Resources, Public Safety and the Department of Theatre will occupy the office building. Work on the DuPont Hall addition is scheduled until March or April 2001. Underground utility work continues in coordination with the foundations and other site work that needs to be done before the building addition can be erected. The large blacktop area on the central Mall is a temporary lane that allows construction vehicles access to the site. The old front of DuPont Hall (approximately 5,500 square feet) has been demolished and replaced with an addition of approximately 64,000 square feet. This addition will consist primarily of laboratory space to support the departments of Materials Science, Civil and Environmental Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering. A new office for the dean of engineering also will be included. The exterior of the facility will complement the design of Gore Hall and will serve to complete the original Mall plan. Utility line upgrades, which started in April and which will be completed sometime in September, involve underground steam and storm water connections from Memorial Hall to both Wolf and DuPont halls.
The Academy Street project last week The renovation of Wolf Hall is a multi-year, three-phase project, scheduled to be completed in November 2003. It includes improvements to the laboratory and administrative functions of the building that is home to the departments of Biology and Psychology. Renovations will include construction of an approximately 10,000-square-foot, four-level addition to the south central portion of the building. Life safety systems, new mechanical, electrical, plumbing and voice/data systems will be installed. Two elevators will be added and the front of the building will be modified for accessibility improvements. The work on this building began in July, foundations were going in during early August and steel erection will occur sometime this fall. Other summer construction projects, and their highlights include.
According to Andy Welsh, director of Facilities, Planning and Construction and the person responsible for overall management of campus construction projects, "The summer is the time when the students and a number of faculty are off campus. As has occurred in past years, we took advantage of the personnel absences during these months to make major and minor improvements. "While not all projects were able to be completed, since some are too large in size and must extend throughout the academic year, the summer season allowed us to get a lot done in a concentrated amount of time and, hopefully, minimize inconveniences during the coming school year." Ed Okonowicz and Jerry Rhodes |
