The summer months at Eastern Michigan University may be
a scene of fewer students, but it's certainly a bustling
time of year for construction projects on campus.
Planning and design for two major projects — a $90
million Mark Jefferson Science Complex and a $3.9 million
renovation of Hoyt Conference Center — are underway.
This summer was a busy one and included: replacement of
furniture and other improvements to Hill Hall, Walton-Putnam
and Phelps-Sellers residence halls; renovation of the
outdoor façade at Pease Auditorium; replacement
of the tank farm at the heating plant; and repaving and
drainage work to the asphalt path connecting main campus
to the athletic facilities.
"Not including Mark Jefferson and the DPS project, the
total project budget is more than $6 million," said John
Donegan, associate vice president for facilities.
Groundwork laid for big-ticket projects
While actual construction and/or renovation work has not
yet begun on the Mark Jefferson Science Complex or the
DPS headquarters in Hoyt Conference Center, the groundwork
was laid to keep those projects moving forward.
 |
SCIENTIFIC SCHEMATICS: During the summer,
a
schematic design for the construction and
renovation
of the Mark Jefferson Science Complex
was
completed. Construction is expected to begin
in
spring 2009. The goal is to open in fall 2011. |
A schematic design for the science project was expected
at the end of August from the project architects, Ann Arbor
firm Lord, Aeck, Sargent, Donegan said.
In June, the Board of Regents authorized EMU to enter
into a construction management agreement with Christman/Dumas
for the Mark Jefferson project. The estimated cost for
the construction management services is $4.04 million based
on the presently planned project scope of $90 million.
It is anticipated that early construction for the new complex
would begin in spring 2009. The goal is to open in fall
2011.
Plans include renovation of the existing 182,802-square-foot
structure and a science lab/research addition at a square
footage that is yet to be determined, Donegan said.
Also in June, the Board approved $3.9 million for the
renovation of 12,000 square feet of the Hoyt Conference
Center to create new office space for the Department of
Public Safety, Parking and Health and Safety. The project,
expected to start this December or January 2009, will be
funded with University funds. Approximately 33 police officers
and DPS administrators are expected to move in to the new
headquarters during summer 2009.
Improving residence hall life
In its continued efforts to spruce up residence halls
to improve dorm occupancy, the physical plant, along with
Housing and Dining, again has put significant time and
money into improving those existing facilities.
 |
NEW DIGS: Students residing in Hill Hall
this fall
were welcomed with overhauled rooms,
including
new carpet, paint, closets and furniture,
including
double beds, mattresses, desk, dresser
and chair. |
A $1.4 million renovation of Hill Hall includes new carpet,
paint, closets and furniture, including double beds, mattresses,
desk, dresser and chair, said Scott Storrar, manager, facilities
planning and construction. In addition, lounge furniture
on all floors will be replaced and the main lobby refurbished
by mid-September.
A $1.5 million facelift for Complex 2, which includes
Walton-Putnam and Phelps-Sellers halls, entailed replacing
all resident furniture. Like Hill, the project includes
putting in new beds, mattresses, desks and chairs. Some "touch-up" paintwork
also took place, Storrar said. Hardwiring was replaced
for all smoke detectors in these residence halls.
Like Hill, this project was completed by the end of August
and new lounge furniture will be arriving by mid-September.
In summer 2006, Downing Hall was the recipient of major
renovations. In summer 2005, Buell Hall rooms were refurbished.
In a smaller residence hall project, approximately $400,000
was spent on improvements to Wise Hall. These included
replacing the carpeting in all residence hall rooms, painting
the hall corridors and replacing the bathroom counters.
A plan is currently underway to renovate all apartment
units and will be based on available funding. Renovation
of Cornell Apartments is in its third year and renovation
of Westview Apartments was launched this year, with six
units receiving various degrees of upgrades.
Sidewalks adjacent to all apartments are being repaired
to improve safety and appearance.
To keep apartment residents, Internet service options
for residents of Cornell and Westview have been included
in the TV services proposal. As part of the Westview renovation,
the old carpeting was torn out and the wood floors refinished.
Appliances, lighting fixtures and tile have been replaced
and a new coat of paint applied.
At Cornell Apartments, Building F was the focus, with
two stairs being replaced and a balcony repaired. Many
sidewalks were replaced at Westview Apartments.
Down on the tank farm
That large, uneven metal barrier that could easily be
seen off of Oakwood Drive near the heating plant a good
portion of the summer was not a protective barrier from
some "King Kong" movie set. Rather, it was used to stabilize
Oakwood so it would not collapse while tank farm replacement
occurred at the heating plant, said Chad Crocker, director
of facilities maintenance for the physical plant.
 |
DIGGING DEEP: Four new fuel
oil tanks
replaced six existing
tanks at the tank farm near
the
heating plant on campus. The
work was necessary
to comply
with Department of
Environmental Quality
(DEQ)
underground storage tank
regulations. |
Six 30,000-gallon, No. 2 fuel oil tanks were removed and
replaced with four 40,000-gallon tanks. The work was necessary
to comply with Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)
underground storage tank regulations requiring the use
of double-walled tanks with leak-monitoring systems. The
existing tanks, which were removed, were single-walled
and were unable to be altered to comply with current rules.
In all, the project cost approximately $1.3 million.
"We did this to be EPA and DEQ-compliant," Crocker said. "It's
for the fuel oil for the boilers during the winter."
On Sept. 2, West Circle Drive will revert back to two-way
traffic and remain closed between Oakwood and Rackham Circle
through the end of September. Street parking along West
Circle Drive will not be permitted during this time period.
Safety first
As part of its critical response system in the event of
an emergency, eight campus buildings have been wired with
a loudspeaker system, Crocker said. These include Best
Hall, Boone Hall, the Convocation Center, DC-3, Hill Hall,
Hoover, Hoyt, Mark Jefferson, the Marshall building and
the Porter building. By November, three additional buildings
— Alexander, Cooper and the Sculpture Studio — will
be wired.
"It's for critical response if we, God forbid, ever
have a shooter on campus," Crocker said. "Hopefully, it's
a system that will never have to be used."
Another component of EMU's safety plan is the emergency
text message system that can alert faculty, staff and students
to a campus emergency signed up through the RAVE system.
In the event of an emergency on campus, a short message
would be sent via text message to everyone who registers
his or her cell phone with the University. Users also can
choose to have the emergency alerts sent to their e-mail.
"This is sent live to DPS and the physical plant," Crocker
said.
Making things easier
A number of projects this summer had everything to do
with better access and ease of movement across campus.
In a joint project between the Washtenaw County Parks
and Recreation Commission, the path — used by walkers,
bikers, runners and roller bladders — between main
campus and west campus was repaved and new drainage measures
added. The path was reopened Aug. 27 with a ribbon-cutting
celebration attended by EMU President Susan Martin.
 |
SIGN SWITCH: Building identifier signs
like this prototype outside McKenny Hall
have had
a makeover. The previous green
background is now black, and
a final
design is in development.
|
"The path is about two feet wider than before," said Donegan.
The work cost approximately $120,000, with EMU's share
half of that total, Donegan said.
In an effort to mirror the multitude of banners on campus
that identify buildings and serve as a way-finding system,
approximately 100-120 existing building identification
signs on campus have had their green border backgrounds
repainted to black.
"We completed six to eight frames per day," Donegan said
of the repainting job.
The design for the signs are still in the conceptual stages,
said Ted Coutilish, associate vice president for marketing
and communications.
Two bathrooms — located in Roosevelt and King halls — were
upgraded to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) standards. New handrails, fixtures and clearance
areas were installed, Storrar said.
Concrete stairs near the Rec/IM were replaced to address
a drainage problem, Donegan said.
"We readjusted the slope of the area above the steps.
Water (now) goes to a storm sewer and cannot flow down
the steps," Donegan
explained.
To improve pedestrian access to the Student Center, concrete
stairs will be placed uphill on the west side of the First-Year
Center, which creates a more direct path to the Student
Center, Donegan said. In addition, a worn path, just north
of the Towers, that runs to the Student Center was replaced
as well as some patches of sidewalk around the Towers.
Every fall, the physical plant's grounds crew plants new
trees around campus.
"We're trying to soften up the look around the Towers,
and create a greater sense of place and define the landscape
there. We'll add plants and a rock garden," Donegan said.
Odds and ends
Renovation at Pease Auditorium, which has been in progress
since last summer, was finished at the end of August. The
$2.2 million project involved restoring the decorative
terra cotta and brick mason that adorns the main entrance
façade, and replacing the main entrance section
of roof. As additional scope, the remaining roof is expected
to be completed in September.
 |
MASON WORK: Herb Strong, a mason with
Grunwell-Calero, smooths mason joints
near the base of Pease Auditorium. A $2.2
million project included restoring
the decorative terra cotta and brick mason
that adorns the main entrance, as well as
replacing the roof. |
Some furniture, fixtures and equipment were replaced at
Halle Library this summer. Work included new floors and
paint outside the Paradox Café and new carpeting
and accent painting in the elevator and stairwell areas.
In addition, water leaks in the roof and the cooling
tower were fixed at Halle this summer.
At Eagle Crest, the golf clubhouse underwent approximately
$50,000 in upgrades, including replacement of the air-conditioning
system. A foundation and slab in the men's dressing room
was repaired.
"It (floor) had a nice little slope to it for years. Water
had no problem finding the corner of the building," Crocker
said.
The Corporate Education Center at Eagle Crest is currently
undergoing a roof replacement and a new HVAC package. The
$250,000 project is expected to be finished by November.
At Rynearson Stadium, the physical plant is removing lead
paint on the Hewitt Road side of the stadium. After the
chipping and peeling job is complete, a new paint job on
that end of the stadium will occur, Crocker said. In addition,
the entryway under the stadium had been repaired, he said.
 |
WINDOW WORK: Windows on the northwest
and south sides of Bowen Field House will
eventually
be replaced. Some of the current
windows are painted
or cracked. During July,
the physical plant went
to bid to replace the
windows. |
During July, the physical plant went out to bid on replacing
windows on the northwest and south sides in Bowen Field
House. For years, the window décor in the warehouse-like
facility has been a hodge-podge of glass and painted windows,
with some glass even cracked or broken in places. But that
could all change thanks to some funds remaining from the
$1 million in insurance money that is still available for
Bowen improvements. Eastern Michigan collected the money
from its self-insurance policy with the Michigan Universities
Self-Insurance Corporation (M.U.S.I.C.) after the Bowen
indoor track flooded in September 2007.
"It will be like a whole new building. It will look great," Donegan
said. "We would extend the windows down three feet and
create backlighting in the windows."
