Although many on-campus construction projects are still currently in progress, a number projects were completed over the summer.
Major projects aimed to eliminate inconveniences to residents during the school year included the replacement of roofs in Onondaga, Monroe and Ontario residence halls. Onondaga, Niagara and Wayne halls were upgraded to fully integrated and addressable fire alarm systems. These new systems pinpoint the origin of the hypothetical fire and set off the entire residence hall's alarm.
Jeffrey Kaplan, director of facilities planning & construction, in an e-mail sent on Aug. 22, delineated the progress of specific projects, many of which were delayed by unforeseen factors.
Kaplan said that the office windows on the east side of Welles are due for completion by the end of September. Work was slowed due to a subcontractor error regarding mismatched refinished sashes.
Construction in the corridor of Newton Hall is also expected to be finished in September, along with Moench Track. Rainfall, which altered sub-soil hydraulics coupled with a hike in oil prices that increased the cost of asphalt delayed the track's construction.
Similarly, the reconstruction of the Sturges-Union Stairway is planned for completion in September and was unexpectedly halted by sub-surface conditions and electrical problems.
Seneca Hall is still scheduled to be ready for occupancy in the spring 2009 semester. Although students were displeased with the noise emitted by construction on the project last year, Kaplan explained it should not be too much of an issue any longer since most of the work being done is indoors. Contractors are also continuing to begin work on the hall at 8 a.m. instead of the normal construction hour of 7 a.m.
Kaplan said that there have not been complaints from students on construction thus far."Students have been very understanding about every issue that arises," he said.
According to sophomore Britt Faulkner, a Putnam resident, "It's not the best wake-up call at 8 a.m., and it's also hard to always have to cut around the construction sites - it's a little bit of nuisance."
Senior Matthew O'Connor, Genesee resident, has had difficulty with Seneca's construction. "The fencing on one side of the construction site forces residents to walk around Genesee instead of walking through the courtyard, which has been causing disruptions for those who live in the [ground level] basement."
Some students have suggested projects they hope to see in the future.
Junior Shannon White of Putnam Hall feels that, "There should be a designated parking area for the freshmen since the upper classmen need more parking since we have jobs, clinics or internships to attend."
A comprehensive listing of the summer construction projects can be found at http://www.geneseo.edu/CMS/display.php?dpt=facplan.