The Michigan Daily - Friday, March 25, 1994 - 3 V._.. _....{ .. _. .."__ .. ._. t .._. ... < I 1 I 111 _ I (iloxlJR S i r r Il 4' F 0 I I /t I4 oil !1 New future for * 1U' Is building allover campus lthough construction means dirt, noise and inconvenience for current students and faculty, many believe it will create a state-of-the-art University. "Better facilities enable students to have a better educational experience," said University Planner Fred Mayer. Because the University's needs have grown and changed over time, many campus facilities are now outmoded. "The systems of buildings on campus are not designed for the type of use patterns we have now," Mayer said. The construction is aimed at improving the facilities available to both faculty and students. This includes new classrooms, lecture halls and offices. "We are finally doing so much work that is more student-oriented then research-oriented. This is a time for heavy and highly visible *work," said Tom Schlaff, director of construction management. Farris Womack, vice president and chief financial officer of the University, said the large amount of construction on campus is due to the favorable economic climate right now. "We saw this as a window of opportunity because the interest rates are so low. We could get these badly needed faculties either renovated or built at a time when the cost of doing it was lower than it has been in 25 years," Womack said. Renovation projects in several buildings will upgrade mechanical systems such as heating and ventilation, as well as add air condition- *ing. Ramps and banisters will also be added in many locations to increase the buildings' accessibility to disabled students. Schlaff said, "The whole perspective is campus-wide ... Probably the most impressive thing that I have seen is all the classroom improvements on campus." Another goal of construction is academic organization, Mayer said. New buildings will allow departments that are currently scattered in many areas to consolidate into one location. Psychology will receive office space in East Engineering. The School of Social Work will move into a building to be built next to the School of Education Building. The science collection will be united in *the UGLi and the engineering collections will move to North Campus. After this current wave of construction is over, the Diag will be next. Improvements in lighting, sidewalks and drainage are planned. Mayer said, "We are going to go in and try to restore the Diag from the abuse it is taking." Changes made to the Medical Campus will increase the space available for research and patient services. "Some of the research programs are jammed tight. They need space that is brought up to contemporary methods," said Horace Bomar, 'director of facilities for the Medical School. * North Campus will also be expanded to include new facilities for the College of Engineering. The Integrated Technology Instructional Center (ITIC) will contain a library and technology center geared towards the needs of all four schools on North Campus - Music, Engineering, Art, and Architecture. An expansion of the North Campus Commons to provide more food options is also being discussed. Mayer said North Campus is a fast growing part of the University, and more construction is planned for the future. "The image of North Campus as very open, will change dramatically," he said. With the proposed changes, North Campus will become a "one- stop" campus for students of the four schools, Mayer said. The new facilities mean that these students will no longer have to go to Central Campus for their research or technology needs. . u . ; Current Construction r As the temperature heats up, the construction season moves into full swing. Many University buildings need improvements to staircases, bathrooms and Fu fire safety equipment. Sometimes total facelifts are necessary. And sometimes e pro classrooms are converted to faculty offices. Here is a rundown of what's School of So happening on the Diag and elsewhere around campus. In the wr From paper screating a Wig.new look ~takes time n the case of construction decisions, it is a long trip from the University drawing board to reality. So long, in fact, University Planner Fred Mayer has decorated his office with detailed color maps of the entire University. Displayed on easels throughout the office, these maps outline possible areas for develop- ment as well as current infrastructure - roads and sewer systems. "What you will see is that although there are many sites drawn out, there is no particu- lar name for a building on it. We do not try to guess 25 years in advance exactly what will be needed in the year 2005," he said. Construction projects usually begin at the departmental level. The idea for a project usually starts when members of a department complain about the current facilities. The chair turns these complaints over to the dean of that school. It is the dean's responsibility to prioritize the needs of the school and then approach the provost or executive officers with a request for a new facility. "Now the question becomes, 'How are you going to pay for it?"' Mayer said. Farris Womack, vice president and chief financial officer of the University, said al- though student fees do play a part in construc- tion financing, the bulk of the funding comes from other sources. Most buildings either pay for themselves through University revenue or are funded through philanthropic gifts and state appropriations. Mayer said, "Among the 17 colleges .. some like Business and the Law school have reasonable large philanthropic sources to count on, but there are not many millionaire social workers." He added, "In the state, funding requests generally sit for a couple of years." The state is currently funding construction of the Integrated Technology Instruction Cen- ter (ITIC), Engineering Center, Angell Hall and C.C. Little projects. Womack said many buildings are also paid for through the sale of bonds. Student fees are promised as security on the bonds. or The decision to involve student fees in the a financing of construction is based on the level of direct benefits to students. Projects cur- rently funded in this way include the UGLi, the Randall addition (behind West Engineer- e ing) and East Engineering. s "Every year there is a responsibility to pay gy for some proportion of the debt. A student d who comes here in the year 2000 will pay as :s much as the student who was here when it was incurred," Womack said. Since bonds are usually 20 to 30 year obligations, Womack said current student fees are paying for the buildings that are here now. After funding is obtained for the project, contractors are invited by the University to make bids on the project. When a contractor is chosen, the construc- tion begins. Undergraduate Library What are the doing? Beautifyin the Ra UGLi. The outside gets a complete fcelift to Wh remove those blue panels.ont Cool benefits: All the science libraries will the be on the third floor, instead of in various co buildings all over campus. A new bridge will fo connect the library to West Engineering and for the Graduate Library. More ramps and Cos upgraded elevators will make it more To accessible. Cost: $11.1 million To be finished: January 1995 L I 3ndall Laboratoy hat are they doing? Adding to all four floors andextending basement. Ai benefits: Much more room physics research and faculty ces. it: $22.4 million be finished: Mid-1995 East Engineering What are they doing? Ma' remodling. A new lecture hal, smaller auditorium and seven new classrooms are included. The upper floors will be exclusively faculty offices whil the lower floors will mix office and classrooms. Cool benefits: The Psycholo department, currently scattere all over campus, will have all it departmental offices in the building. Cost: $28.6 million To be finished: March 1996 /v',, . ,,1Ot e rojects / / ., / Integrated Technology Instruction Center and Engineering Center: While on opposite sites of the North Campus Common, these two buildings will unite the campus and provide additional space for faculty and administrators. The ITIC will include a library and expansive computer facilities with technology for all of the schools. Price Tag: $43.4 million *Target Date: June 1996 Mott's Children's Hospital: Phased renovation is currently going on at Mott's. The renovation and addition include basic structuralsmaintenance as well as upgrading the operating rooms, recovery areas and play spaces. Price Tag: $46.5 million Target Date: February 1995 Cancer and Geriatrics Research Building: This 10-story building will provide the Medical School with increased research facilities and inpatient treatment. It will also integrate services currently scattered throughout the medical complex. Included in the project is a five-floor parking structure. Price Tag: $88.6 million Target Date: August 1996 Medical Science Research III: This building will be devoted to research. The project includes renovations of lecture halls and facilities in the medical buildings I and 11. Price Tag: $50.2 million STarget Date: June 1994 Sources: University planners, Offices of Financial Affairs and Construction Management. JONATHAN BERNDT/Daily By Lisa Dines Daily Staff Reporter This hole near the Diag should be filled with an extension of the Randall Labratory by the middle 1995. F ArAir i AAFAAF i AAF A *Students try to avoid construction 'war zone' while crossing Diag Before Columbus, sailors were afraid to voyage too far and fall off the end of the world. Now, in 1994, University students months. David Freund, a graduate student, teaches a class in East Engineering where construc- "The major earth-moving equipment is creating fumes, noise, dirt and vibrations," Bomar said. school or the construction site manager. The University has also set up a phone number to answer concerns about construction. Mesh fabric was added to the fences in order to reduce dust and noise while still allowing students to observe the progress.