With the seemingly constant construction throughout campus this semester, Facility Services is striving to improve student accessibility and safety.
Nicholson Hall windows
The windows in Nicholson Hall are being replaced and are scheduled for completion by October, said Roger Husser, director of Planning, Design and Construction for Facility Services.
Nicholson Hall is the only building in the Quad to still have the original windows from its building in 1937.
Allen Hall elevator
The elevator in Allen Hall is being replaced to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act regulations. The white visqueen plastic sheeting hanging throughout the building is used to minimize dust during construction.
The elevator’s projected end date is sometime in November or December, allowing student access beginning in the spring, Husser said.
Fieldhouse Drive traffic circle
Another part of campus undergoing construction to improve student accessibility is the traffic circle in front of the Journalism Building on Fieldhouse Drive.
“The general intent with all of that is to improve student access and also more importantly, student safety in those areas,” Husser said.
Construction workers have recently finished extending and widening the sidewalk on the east side of the traffic circle. The sidewalk is now connected all the way around the perimeter of the parking lot, where there were previously gaps.
“With that continuous sidewalk, you don’t have students who are having to walk through parking lots where cars are backing up and pulling in,” said Tammy Millican, assistant director of Facility Services.
Landscape work is ongoing between the street and the sidewalk on the east side of the traffic circle, and is projected to be finished in the next two weeks, Husser said. Once landscaping is finished, the next phase of construction will take place. The circle in the middle of the roundabout will be made smaller in order to make turns easier for trucks, and the bus stops will be extended, providing more space for buses.

Gallery • 8 Photos

Karen Welsh

Nicholson Hall is undergoing construction and getting a new set of windows Wednesday September 2, 2015 in the quad.