Construction continues on campus

As students returned to campus this week, they may have noticed that it looks a little different than when they left in the spring.

Ernst F. Lied Center for Visual Arts

The Ernst F. Lied Center for Visual Arts is open and classes are being held in the new facility.

Steve Thompson, director of capital projects, said faculty members began moving into the building July 15. The university received the official certificate of occupancy Aug. 28, he said.

Groundbreaking on the $7.1 million facility began last spring. The grand opening of the center will be held Oct. 4 during Homecoming weekend.


Westminster/Alder renovations

The old fine arts building is currently housing the English and Modern Language departments while Westminster and Alder Halls undergo renovations.

"Camp FAB," referring to the old fine arts building, has not had much work done because the building will be torn down in January after the Westminster/Alder renovations are complete, Ed Kelly, director of Facility Services said.

"The faculty have been gracious with the less than adequate facilities," he said. "Everyone seems to be in good spirits."

Walls are currently being built within Westminster and Alder and the lower level is being excavated, he said.

Although there were several delays in the process of obtaining a permit from Spokane County for the project, the goal is to complete the project in December and move the departments back into the building by the end of Jan Term, Kelly said.

The renovation will add more classroom and office space, as well as replace some of the heating, ventilation and mechanical systems, he said.

When complete, Westminster and Alder will become one building with one main entrance and connecting hallways, Kelly said.


Biology and Chemistry building

Steam lines are currently being replaced and rerouted near the science center and old fine arts building. The project will not be completed until October, Kelly said.

Attention will then be focused on the design for Phase I of the science facilities project, which includes building a new biology and chemistry building, is scheduled to be completed in January, Thompson said.

The new 60,000-square foot facility will be constructed on the site of the old fine arts building, which will be demolished in January.

Phase I will cost about $37 million and is slated for completion in fall 2010. Phase II of the project, which calls for a 16,000-square foot addition to the northwest corner of the existing Eric Johnston Science Center, will begin approximately one year after Phase I is complete.

The total cost of the project will be about $53 million.


Other summer project updates

Over the summer, other projects included replacing the pool filtration system at the Aquatics Center, replacing the Fieldhouse lighting, the addition of a track shed at the Pine Bowl, resurfacing of the Fieldhouse basketball court, expanding the HUB bookstore and mail room, remodeling and consolidating ASWU space in order to add a 60-seat catering room, remodeling the soccer field bench area, remodeling the Continuing Studies department office space, recarpeting Hawthorne Hall, putting in an addition to the Institutional Advancement office in Hawthorne, remodeling office space and the A/C system in Graves Gym and installing fire alarms in McEachran and Lindaman halls.


Check back for more information on campus changes in days to come, and read more in an upcoming issue of The Whitworthian.

Contact Julie Wootton at julie.wootton@whitworthian.com.

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