Vol. 16, No. 37	July 24, 1997

Campus construction peaks during summer

Each summer for the last several years, the number and scope of construction, renovation and renewal projects has increased, according to David Hollowell, executive vice president.

"The summer of 1997 is no exception. Millions of dollars are being spent to improve the learning and living environment for our students, faculty and staff," he said.

The work includes new construction, major and minor renovations, infrastructure repairs and ongoing maintenance. The work is performed by UD trades personnel and various private contractors.

"Summer is a special and important time for facilities work," Dick Walter, facilities management, said. "With fewer people on campus, it gives us a chance to do major projects on campus infrastructure while minimizing the impact on students, faculty and staff. Many of these projects would be impossible to complete during the fall or spring semesters.

"The summer season starts immediately after graduation, with a one-week shutdown of the steam plant and distribution system for preventive maintenance," Walter said. "And, the summer season ends the week before fall opening, with landscape repairs to those areas disturbed by the many summer projects."

In early July, President David Roselle summarized summer construction best while addressing a visiting group of students and parents during a New Student Orientation program. "Each summer," he said, "we tear the campus apart and, by the beginning of fall, we put it all back together."

Following are just some of the major construction and renovation efforts in progress this summer.

New construction

• Gore HallÐnew classroom building; completion, January 1998, with classes to begin in February 1998.

• MBNA America HallÐoffice and classroom building for the College of Business and Economics, connected to Purnell Hall; completion, August 1997.

• Munroe HallÐcombination of new construction behind and renovation of the three brick houses at 46-56 West Delaware Ave., to house the departments of Anthropology and History; completion, August 1997.

Renovation projects

Last spring, the Board of Trustees approved a five-year renovation and funding plan for the residence halls along the north and south malls. The work in each building includes window replacement; new electrical, plumbing, sprinkler and fire detection systems; architectural improvements to sleeping rooms, corridors and common spaces; and, as needed, upgrades to the heating/cooling systems and bathrooms.

The residence hall renovation project began this summer with the following:

• Brown Residence HallÐcompletion in August 1997.

• Smyth Residence HallÐcompletion of ground floor in August 1997; balance of building to be phased over the next two summers.

• Sussex Residence HallÐcompletion in December 1997.

• Other residence hall projects

• New ceilings, lights, fire detection system, paint and carpet in the Gilbert Hall corridors; new HVAC units in the Rodney C rooms and Conover East apartments; new frames and windows in the Dickinson Hall stair-towers; cosmetic improvements and new furnishings in Pencader Halls G-M; and remodeling of the Rodney Underground snack bar into a fitness center. All of these projects are scheduled for completion by late August.

• The classroom improvement program continues this summer with a total renovation of Room 101 Brown Laboratory, plus several other classrooms in the Amy E. du Pont Music Building, Ewing Hall and the Willard Hall Education Building. In addition, instructional media upgrades will take place in several classrooms across campus.

• Some of the other summer renovation projects include renovation of the office wing of Purnell Hall; creation of environmental laboratories and infrastructure improvements in the east end of DuPont Hall; replacement of windows in the original portion of Alison Hall; and installation of sprinklers and a fire detection system in Hullihen Hall.

Infrastructure improvements

Heating system upgrades, replacement of underground steam lines and drainage improvements have occurred at several locations on campus. Complete or partial repaving of the Clayton Hall, East Visitor, Amy E. du Pont Music Building, Hollingsworth and Delaware Field House parking lots is complete or will be complete by the start of classes. The Academy Street tennis courts have been replaced with a combination of tennis courts, basketball courts, a street hockey area and added parking.

Walkways and major landscaping projects to be completed this summer involve the areas behind Elliott and Alumni halls, around MBNA America Hall and between Kirkbride and Smith halls; and the walkways in front of the Morris Library and between Brown Laboratory and Evans Hall. Walks and landscaping around Gore Hall will start this summer and be completed by December.

Smaller projects

Many smaller projects also are under way, including improvements to the Bookstore sales locations at Delaware Stadium as well as renovations to the former Graham Hall commissary and the Maintenance Center building on Academy Street, both of which will provide temporary space for personnel and functions to be relocated during future renovations.

In addition, there are several renovation projects under way in Lewes.

Looking ahead

Projects that will commence later in the year are well along in planning, including total renovation of Memorial Hall, which is scheduled to begin early in 1998; construction of an office/meeting room facility in Dover to consolidate University functions in Kent County; construction/renovation of a classroom building in Wilmington to be completed by next summer; construction of a central heating/cooling plant for the Laird Campus, scheduled to begin this fall; and renovation of the church building at the corner of West Delaware Avenue and Elkton Road.