Construction projects racing toward completion

by Joe King

As Barsema Hall and the Convocation Center both race toward completion, it is hard to say which is causing more excitement on the Northern Illinois University campus. Barsema Hall, which is rising on the northeastern corner of campus, on Garden Road, just north of the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, has created a buzz since the surprise announcement in September 2000 that alumnus Dennis Barsema had made a $20 million gift to the university for construction of the 145,000-square-foot, state-of-the art facility.

The plastic "bubble" assists in the curing process of the cement in the lower level of the Convocation Center by holding in warm air that is being pumped into the lower level of the building.

Promises made that day that the building would be ready for classes by the fall of 2002 seemed to many to be overly optimistic. However, aided by good weather and a streamlined construction process, work on the building has progressed at a feverish pace and is about a month ahead of schedule.

From the outside, the north face of the building, which is completely covered in face brick and ornamental stone, offers a glimpse of what the future holds. One of the most distinctive external features, however, the limestone walls of the auditorium on the east side of the building, is still some time from completion.

Inside, hints of what lies ahead also are emerging. On the second and third floors, much of the drywall is installed, and some offices have received a preliminary coat of paint. In the atrium, the grand staircases are starting to take shape. More mundane, but essential, elements of the building are proceeding at a similar pace: all plumbing and electrical work is roughed in, as is the infrastructure for the vast array of voice and data lines that will make the building one of the most technologically advanced business schools in the nation. When completed, the building will include 22 standard classrooms, several tiered classrooms, four computer labs and a 375-seat auditorium.

"It's just amazing to see it go from the one-dimensional floor plan and become a three-dimensional building," said Mark Misic, director of technology and facility manager for the college. "You just can't grasp the scale until you walk into the building, especially the atrium. It just seems to soar."

Based upon the current pace of construction, officials say that there should be little trouble in meeting the original goal of substantial completion by May, and the college may be able to start moving in earlier than previously expected.

On the opposite end of campus, just north of Lincoln Highway and west of Huskie Stadium, an even more imposing structure is rising.

Unlike Barsema Hall, the Convocation Center was not a surprise, but rather the result of many years of toil and planning. The 215,000-square-foot facility will become one of the centerpieces of campus—home to athletic events, commencement ceremonies, concerts, large-scale theatre productions, trade shows and a wide variety of other events.

One of the unique aspects of the $36 million, 10,000-seat arena is banks of flexible, telescopic seating that allow seats to be fully extended or folded back into the building's walls to create a smaller or larger seating capacity, depending on the demand for an event. Also unusual is the placement of the main arena floor, which is 10 feet below grade. That feature helps create a very compact footprint and allows for significant savings on design, engineering and construction.

The project passed a major milestone in mid-January when concrete for the final portion of the arena floor was poured. The next big step will be completion of the arena dome, which is targeted for mid-February. Completion of that task will allow work to begin in earnest on finishing off the main arena area.

In the meantime, work will continue to race ahead in other parts of the structure. In the office wing and the lower level of the arena—located beneath the north lobby, and including locker rooms, the auxiliary gymnasium, multi-purpose rooms, a press room, equipment and training rooms—studs are in place and drywall is being hung. Tradesmen also continue to work on installing the plumbing, electrical and HVAC infrastructure throughout the building. With the arrival of spring, work will begin on landscaping the area around the arena and construction of the 3,000-car parking lot.

All work is on schedule for a fall opening, and planning is underway for a series of events to unveil the facility to members of the university community, the DeKalb community and beyond.

Also, earlier this month, the university announced that it has officially booked the Northern Illinois Farm Show to take place in the arena. The event, scheduled for Jan. 8-9, 2003, is expected to draw up to 15,000 people and have a $2 million impact on the local economy.