Construction is in full swing on the SUNY New Paltz campus this fall as various projects are currently underway and progressing smoothly, with some completed recently and others just getting started.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the amount of work our folks have put forth,” said Assistant Vice President of Facilities Management John Shupe.
Wooster Building
As cold weather approaches, workers are preparing to close up the exterior shell of the Wooster Building, according to Shupe and Facilities Design and Construction Director John McEnrue. By November, crews plan to advance to the stage of closing the exterior and embarking on the remaining interior work, including carpeting and other flooring, a granite stairway, sheetrock installation, and all other interior finishes.
The Wooster renovation, which involves relocating several student services (including academic advising, student accounts, records and registration, and financial aid), as well as the addition of a café and student lounge, is expected to be completed by Spring 2016.
Science Building
Though the new Science Building officially broke ground in September, work on the building started months ago, said Shupe and McEnrue. Site work has been completed, footings have been installed, the bulk of the foundation work is done, and the installation of underground utilities to support the future facility is ongoing. Crews are getting ready to begin steel work on the building in the next month or so.
Ridgeview Hall
The construction of the new residence hall, Ridgeview, is proceeding smoothly and on schedule. Similar to the Wooster project, crews hope to enclose the exterior of the building by the end of October so interior finishes can begin. Sheetrock installation, flooring, and painting will continue through the winter, and the building is slated for occupancy in August 2015.
LeFevre Hall
A complete renovation of LeFevre Hall – which commenced last December – was completed this past August, which is “a really short time frame for a gut renovation,” said Shupe.
Similar to the renovation of Crispell Hall, LeFevre has received several energy efficiency upgrades, as well as a new bicycle area on the side of the building. All material was recycled throughout the demolition of the “old” building. A LEED Gold rating (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, the rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council) is anticipated for the building.
McEnrue called the LeFevre renovation “a terrific success.”
Library Renovation
The renovation of Sojourner Truth Library has been awarded to local construction firm Meyer Contracting, of Pleasant Valley, N.Y. Work will start on the library “immediately,” said McEnrue, with the bulk of the renovation affecting the main level of the library.
The library renovation will include the addition of numerous group study rooms, as well as removal of exterior bulkhead walls “so occupants and visitors alike can view the beautiful mountain range to the west,” said McEnrue. In an email to campus, library Dean Mark Colvson indicated other elements of the renovation, including increased natural light; “better bathrooms”; technological upgrades to work spaces; and “a faculty study for long-term research and student consultations.”
The bottom two floors of the library, as well as the checkout and information desks, will remain open throughout the renovation. Visitors will be asked to use a new main entrance on the Concourse level of the building, and quiet study spaces around campus are being identified to provide alternative options for when the library is “too crowded or noisy,” said Colvson.
Service Building
Scheduled to start in January, a major renovation of the ground floor of the Service Building will allow several campus facilities arms to become more centrally located.
The top floor of the Service Building will be renovated to provide a new and improved space for the University Police Department and campus Environmental Health and Safety. Design and Construction will then move into the space currently occupied by UPD, which will allow Facilities Operation and Maintenance to relocate custodial staff to the Service Building from their current location in the basement of College Hall.
The Service Building renovation work is expected to be done in late 2015.
Turf Field
A new turf field on the south side of campus has opened, providing more available space for students to participate in intramural and club sports.
Some of the new turf field’s features include a multi-sport scoreboard; a 4-foot PVC-coated fence around the perimeter, with four 12-foot-wide double gates at each corner for “greater player access and egress”; a 20-foot safety net; a 30-foot flagpole; and a handicap-accessible walkway from the road to the field, said Shupe.
Underneath the field, a “state-of-the-art drainage system” includes a water collection device to filter the water exiting the field before it enters the town’s storm water line, said Shupe.
Grimm House
The home of the Center for International Programs, the Grimm House, is getting a makeover.
The exterior of the Grimm House is being painted light blue with dark blue shutters, and will also feature a new colonial red door.
“Just like the Hopfer house, the colors will match the period and style of the facility,” said McEnrue.
Route 32 Transit Hub
In an attempt to move Trailways bus pickups off of Route 32 and to a more safe location, a new bus shelter will be installed in Lot 28. Currently, landscaping work is being done in the vicinity of the new bus shelter to allow for the planting of turf and shrubs this season.
The physical bus shelter itself is expected to arrive by the end of October. Once completed, the transit hub will become the pickup and dropoff location for all Trailways buses. However, UCAT buses will still come through campus.
