Construction
modernizes campus for the fall semester
By
Katie DeBoer
Staff Writer
Many
people have noticed there is a lot of construction
around the campus. The work is planned to
be finished by the first day of fall instruction.
There are 30 to 40 projects going on, all
in different areas of the campus.
These
projects include "replacing the sidewalks,
reconstructing the roof tops due to water
leakage, and bumps in the road," said
Scott Shermack from the Physical Planning
and Facilities Management Center. "New
pipelines, and drains which haven't been
replaced since the 1950's."
The
sidewalks and pavement have cracked and
blemished over time, which is a hazard for
pedestrians. Old drain pipes have rusted
and developed fractures causing infrastructure
deterioration and possible contamination
of drinking water.
There
are four major projects that are in full
force and you can spot them around the campus
near the Peterson Hall, LAD-CSULB's TV station,
Fine Arts and Nursing, and the north end
where the Music Complex is.
Near
the Library and Nursing facilities, new
sewer lines are being installed 12-14 feet
below the surface. Bruce King Services,
contracted by Dalke Contracting, began construction
by replacing old sewer lines last Tuesday.
Bruce King and his crew have done lot of
work on CSULB over the past few years and
"hope to continue doing similar jobs
on campus" because as King states,
"they enjoy the campus atmosphere".
King also guarantees the new sewer lines
will be finished by next week.
The
majority of these projects have been financed
through the Differed Maintenance Budget.
These projects vary in cost depending on
the intensity of the damage to the structure
and the material involved in replacing the
outdated hardware.
The
new Science building completed last year
will be open this fall. Another new office
building is going to be built for professors
and office staff. The new office building
will be located on the east side of the
parking structure by the pyramid. The construction
is predicted to be 11 to 12 months long.
Despite the crazy first few weeks of school
traffic, the construction will not interfere
with getting to and from campus. Normal
parking will still be available in designated
areas. The biggest challenge will be the
noise during class.
Last
year when the new science building was being
put up it didn't bother sophomore Nicholas
Pasqua. The construction "wasn't a
big deal or in my way," said Nick.
"Students will complain because it
may be noisy or dusty, however, a break
in the ceiling on a rainy day could be worse."
Let's look on the positive side; at least
steps are being taken to make our campus
a better and safer place. |
