Rice said the steps have been worked on almost annually for the past few years, but on a smaller scale. The condition of the steps led to the major construction that’s going on now.
“If you’ve been on campus for a little while at all prior to this summer you’ll know that the stairs were in not perfect shape, the library on both the north and south sides there, it’s high-traffic area,” Rice said. “Between the amount of foot traffic we get with over 6,000 visitors a day and the weather, with freezing, raining, snowing, shoveling, all of that, there’s just normal wear and tear over a period of time.”
Rice expressed her appreciation for the construction, and said she was grateful to facilities for making the library more inviting.
Director of engineering, construction and operations, Jim Lowe, said many repairs and projects are taking place this summer all around campus. Aside from the repairs at the library, some of the athletic facilities are being worked on, along with the installation of geothermal piping on Riverside Avenue. Lowe said summer is the ideal time to do construction, due to the lower student population.
“The repair and rehabilitation projects [including] rough projects, parking lot repairs, exterior, we try to do the vast majority of our projects during the summer … it’s the best time to get in and not disturb the operation of the campus,” Lowe said. “Even though we have a low occupancy of students on campus and faculty and staff, we still have a lot of activities under way, so we try to coordinate that and everybody’s really wonderful to work with.”
Along with the new repair and rehabilitation projects that were started this summer, there are some older projects that are still progressing, such as the Ronald and Joan Venderly Football Team Complex. The new complex is having its steel structural columns installed, and will be opened in mid- to late Spring 2016.
Other athletic facilities are being tended to as well. The baseball diamond is receiving new bleachers, a press box and concession stands, while the softball diamond is receiving new dugouts and renovations to its multipurpose building. The field hockey and soccer area is getting a restroom facility. Worthen Arena’s basketball court floor was replaced and should be completed by the end of July with the final finish and graphics.
Other than some landscaping work, the newly renovated Botsford/Swinford halls in the Johnson A Complex is ready for move-in this fall. Schmidt/Wilson is now closed and will be renovated. It will be ready for residents Fall 2017.
Another ongoing project is a renovation of the Applied Technology building. The first and second floor of the building’s south side were completed, and occupants are moving back in this month. Lowe said the next phase of the project is the renovation of the north west corner of the building, which will be completed by December.
Riverside Avenue’s pipe installation is slated to be completed by the end of summer, as well as other geothermal projects around campus. Lowe said the next step is to connect the music building, Emens Auditorium, the Arts and Communications Building and Pruis Hall to the system, so that by winter they will receive their heat through the geothermal system.
Read More
'We know what we need to do:' Ball State softball looks for MAC Tournament berth in final regular season series
By Zach Carter / 17 hours agoBall State will end it's regular season with a three-game series at Central Michigan. The Cardinals are currently the No. 6 team in the Mid-American Conference while the Chippewas are the No. 5 seed.
Yorktown baseballs’ offense stalls early, falls to Shelbyville
By David Moore / YesterdayWith few conference games left on the schedule, this was an important series for the Tigers. However, in the end, the Golden Bears swept the season series over the Tigers with an 11-6 victory.
Students gather to protest for Palestine at Frog Baby Fountain
By Staff Reports / YesterdayA student-led protest kicked off near Frog Baby at 4 p.m. May 1 in solidarity with Palestine amidst the country’s conflict with Israel.
