Library construction moving along
New improvements are being added into the construction plan for Russell Library because of a surplus of almost $2 million.
The new library was budgeted at $15 million and a bid of $13,018,000 was accepted from Evergreen Construction. The $1,982,000 left over will be used for eight additional improvements, called post-bid addenda.
Project Manager Mark Bowen from the Office of Facilities Planning said these post-bid addenda will be improvements added into the original plans.
“We will be replacing the roof on the original library,” Bowen said. “We didn’t think there was enough money for that before the bid so it wasn’t included in the project.”
Much of the surplus will be used for upgrades to the original plans for the interior and exterior of the new section of the library.
“Exterior sidewalks will reflect what we’ve done in the Arts & Sciences area, a stamped (brick) look,” Bowen said. “We will upgrade the security system and the audio/visual control system from the original plans. We will also add programmable compact shelving, improvements to interior floor finishes, and we will use aluminum doors instead of steel.”
Bowen said they will replace an electrical duct bank and associated components to enable the main campus electrical system to be a complete loop, which was lost when construction began.
Another addendum will be final connections to a central chiller plant to cool most of the buildings on campus.
“The library will have a new chiller of its own installed,” Bowen said. “When the central plant is constructed, the library will be tied into this system.”
Phase I of construction is the new addition to the old building. When Phase I is completed, everything will be moved from the old building into the new. Then Phase II begins, where the roof of the old building will be replaced.
Construction is currently running on schedule. The projected finish date for Phase I of construction is February 2003, and Phase II is scheduled to be completed in January 2004.
Bowen stressed that these dates are tentative. The post-bid addenda may cause some delays in construction that could push back the completion of each phase by a few months, he said.
“Folks get a little antsy when you start giving dates,” Bowen said. “Then, they change, and then, they change again. February is the month everyone has been focused on (for completion of Phase I). During our last construction meeting, we were looking at how the post-bid addenda will affect the completion date. The dates may change, but so far there haven’t been any delays. We have that problem of having extra money, but it’s a good problem to have.”
Bowen cautioned that everyone should be prepared for the possibility of a delay.
“It’s not that things are going bad with the project or the contractors are slacking or anything like that,” he said. “Actually Evergreen Construction has been very good to work with and has done quality work.”
Construction has caused parking headaches that will not end soon.
“That’s going to be an issue for a while,” Bowen said. “It’s only going
to get worse, because the folks who are working on job sites like this are competing for the parking as well. Also we have 400 or 500 more students here this year.”
“It’s difficult, I’m sure, for students who are trying to get an education here because it does disrupt things a little bit,” he said. “But it’s also exciting, because you understand the commitment that we have in trying to make this a better place. I think everybody will realize it was well worth the hassle they had to go through.”
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Sep 13 2002. Filed under News.
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