You may have noticed more construction on campus when you drove by lot 19 on State Street. The Residence Apartment Complex (RAB) is surrounded by scaffolding and the parking lot behind the building has been fenced off for the construction staging site.

In May of 2000, the Resident Apartment Building (pictured right) and the Guest Center were closed when the presence of toxigenic molds was discovered. The University decided that the most prudent course would be to close the buildings until a mitigation strategy was identified and approved. With a legal settlement resolved and repair strategy adopted, the projected re-opening date of the Guest Center and the Resident Apartment Building is July 2004. The 1 and 2 bedroom apartments will be ready for students to occupy for Fall 2004.

The construction for the repair began this month with the installation of scaffolding. The project calls replacement of the roof, windows, exterior walls and an upgrade of the structure for current code compliance, including a seismic upgrade.

The work site will be enclosed with a plastic sheeting to prevent dust and debris from being released beyond the work area. The air quality will be monitored by an independent company to ensure public safety.

The impact to the campus community:

Work hours will be from 7 am to 5 pm. The parking lot along the north side of the RAB and Guest center has been closed off for the duration of the work project. The parking permit pay station will remain accessible throughout the construction period. It is anticipated there will be some congestion and delays to the parking structure during the times construction materials and equipment are being transported to and from the site. Some construction related dust might reach cars in the parking structure and Lot 19 nearest the construction site.

The pathway between the RAB and the Village will be closed to pedestrians due to safety reasons. It will still be accessible to construction related and emergency vehicles.

For a larger view of the above drawing, click here (54.7 KB).

For further information and updates, please consult the campus Web site for Capital Planning.