by Joe King
Many considered this summer’s low temperatures and minimal rain to be ideal weather – including construction crews working on projects across campus.
As NIU prepares for Thursday’s return of students, a number of major remodeling and repair projects have been completed or are drawing to a close, including:
The campus crossroads underwent a major restoration this summer. The brick pavers that dominated the space were removed and replaced by additional green space, flower beds, new plantings and clean, level concrete walkways.
The result should be a greener, more user-friendly space that is easier to navigate, plow and maintain.
“It’s a substantial upgrade for the entire commons,” said Patti Perkins who oversaw the project for the Division of Finance and Facilities.
The only major work remaining is the planting of Quaking Aspen trees near the Balance of Equality sculpture on the east end of the plaza – a task best done during cooler fall weather.
Work to install fire sprinklers in the Lincoln and Douglas residence hall complexes was completed early and under budget. Training of hall staff, maintenance staff and local fire departments is already complete.
The $2.7 million project was the first phase of a four-year plan to bring the university in compliance with a state law mandating that all university residence halls in Illinois be equipped with sprinklers by 2013.
“Tom Wroblewski and his team working on that project did a fabulous job,” said Jeffrey Daurer, director of capital budgeting and planning for the Division of Finance and Facilities. “Not only was it completed ahead of schedule and under budget (but) it also looks great. You can’t even tell the work was done.”
The Neptune complex is scheduled for sprinkler installation next summer.
On Aug. 10, the Academic Advising Center moved into new quarters at 633 W. Locust St., former home of the Wesley Foundation. The newly remodeled space is a dramatic upgrade from the department’s previous home on the fourth floor of Adams Hall, Director Julie Schaid said.
“We are very pleased,” Schaid said. “We’re now centrally located, accessible to students and we have much more space, including more advising offices and a central area with computer workstations where students can sit down and register for classes immediately after talking with an adviser.”
The artificial playing surface of Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium was replaced in May. The old surface was becoming worn, and impact testing on the turf indicated it was at the end of the product lifestyle. The new turf and underfill will reduce impact on student atheletes, especially the Huskie football team, which uses the surface for practices and games. The new playing field has earned rave reviews from players during summer workouts and the recent start of fall practices.
Work on the new East Campus chilled water plant, located just to the east of the Campus Life Building, made huge strides this summer.
Most of the external concrete walls were poured, work began on a brick facing and the wiring of the building was essentially completed. Most significantly, four 1,200-ton chillers were installed and connections to the chilled water lines were completed.
Plans call for the plant to come online by next summer. Ultimately the facility will cool nearly all of the campus east of Normal Road, allowing the university to retire and remove individual building air conditioning systems, many of which are long past their projected lifespan. The new cooling technology is far more energy-efficient than the systems currently in use. It also takes advantage of the economy-of-scale principles and is environmentally superior.
This summer’s progress allowed Finance and Facilities to arrange for the relocation of construction trailers, restoring 20 parking spaces in the Campus Life parking lot in the process.