Construction 1999: More than just a face-lift

by Jon Stemmle

here were no trenches this summer across Francis Quadrangle or east of Memorial Union. Work there is complete.

Other construction prominent last year — the Schlundt and Chemistry buildings renovations, Eckles Hall and the White Campus Greenhouse project — will be winding down this fall. The $46 million Critical Care Addition to University Hospital was completed last month.

Around campus, less visible construction is taking place, including the renovation of Townsend Hall for the College of Education. A new press box for Memorial Stadium; spectator and team facilities for Simmons Field; and an expansion of Dutton Brookfield's weight room will put MU's sports facilities among the best in the nation.

Ricky Friedrich, Jo McCutchen and Paul Nichols, all masons for Campus Construction, work on the new Hulston Hall courtyard.

With work beginning soon on Cornell Hall, the new, $27.6 million home of the College of Business and Public Administration directly south of Reynolds Alumni Center, there'll be $70 million in construction that'll be taking place on campus.

"The best thing about this stretch of construction is that MU continues to grow and we've been able to deliver very successful projects on time," said Don Guckert, director of Campus Facilities' Planning, Design and Construction.

Through June, July and August the pace of construction on campus has been fast and difficult. The tighter deadlines of smaller projects this summer have made the work much more challenging.

"The coordination, supervision and management of some $21 million in general and subcontracting efforts by our construction engineers and construction project managers have been outstanding," said John Neal, manager of PD&C's Construction Management, who oversees the work of 14 Construction Engineers and Construction Project Managers assigned to various projects on campus.

The White Campus Greenhouse takes shape as workers put brick facing in place. With the concrete — the most difficult part of the project — finished, the greehouse is on course for this fall.

"This has been a challenging summer for us. Without highly visible projects it may appear we're slowing down, but we're as busy as ever," Neal said. "While larger projects, such as Cornell Hall and the second phase of the Memorial Stadium press box renovation are coming up, Planning, Design and Construction has a lot of smaller projects going on that most people don't notice."

Such projects are the nearly $2 million renovation of the Mark Twain dining hall, and various roofing projects, which include Neff and Waters halls, and the Fine Arts building.

Other projects with which PD&C units are involved are the renovation of faculty offices in Hulston Hall and reconstruction of its courtyard; the renovation of classrooms in the Arts and Science Building, Switzler Hall, Engineering East and West buildings, and the construction of a second-floor computer center in Ellis Library by Campus Construction.

The $7.5 million Townsend Hall project, however, presents a challenge due to scores of displaced Education faculty functioning in make-do, swing-space offices and classrooms while renovation takes place.

College of Education Dean Richard Andrews realizes the hardship his faculty are undergoing and promises the wait will be well worthwhile.

"We needed new space badly," Andrews said, "Sacrifices made by everyone will be rewarded ten times over when the faculty come together again in a spacious facility that screams learning on the inside while maintaining tradition on the outside."

PD&C's Townsend Hall C E Jim Henley observes, "We're right on schedule. We're already framing up offices and 'roughing in' wiring and mechanical work on the second and third floors. The College of Education will have a gem of a teaching facility when we finish up next summer."