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Campus construction update
Summertime construction activity steps up, with 38 renewal and seismic retrofit projects in progress

 

demolition

A new central dining and office facility will rise from the ruins of former offices at 2401 Bowditch.
Peg Skorpinski photo

06 June 2001 | As the summer rolls in, campus construction heats up. In the midst of a multi-year, multi-million dollar capital renewal program, the campus will continue to see increases in construction activity in the coming months.

More than 1 million square feet of the campus is undergoing seismic retrofits alone. There are 38 projects, with an estimated value of $304 million under way this summer. Another 75 projects — with a price tag of $576 million — are in the design or planning stages. They join 54 projects, valued at $132 million, that have been completed recently.

“Right now, we are replacing and renewing facilities and building new structures that will affect life on campus well into the next century,” said Ed Denton, vice chancellor for capital projects, who oversees the campus’s massive construction and renewal project.

“We are doing our best to minimize the disruption all this construction has on the lives of those who attend class, do research, or work on campus. While that means in the near future it will be difficult, in the long run we are contributing to maintaining Berkeley as a world-class center for higher education.”

Following is an update on some of the major projects faculty, staff, students and visitors can expect to see on campus this summer.

Central campus

Barrows Hall
Interior upgrades along with fire and life safety upgrades are going on concurrently with seismic work. Ceiling work and some painting is expected to take place over the summer. Work on the new north entrance is under way. The project team plans to have the north entrance and general assignment classrooms operational for the Spring 2002 semester.

Barker Hall
Home to Molecular and Cell Biology, Barker Hall should be strengthened by the end the fall.

Hildebrand and Latimer halls
Seismic upgrade to the College of Chemistry lab and classroom buildings began in September 2000.

Hearst Memorial Mining Building
The seismic retrofit and renovation of one of the campus’s most important historic treasures continues throughout the summer.

Wurster Hall
Work on the north tower continues. Retrofit work in the south wing on the first floor has started. Floors two, three and four in the south wing will remain occupied during construction. Ramona’s Café will be closed during the summer for retrofit, but will re-open for the fall semester.

Underground utilities
Installation of communication infrastructure at Frank Schlessinger Way will begin June 21. Vehicle access will be maintained at all times, but access will be limited. Some parking along the road will be temporarily lost. Work is scheduled for completion in time for the start of basketball season. Utilities work also continues on Old College Way.

Sproul Hall Parking Lot pavement replacement
Construction is scheduled to begin June 1 and be complete by July 9. The lot will be closed during construction.

2251 College – the Archaeological Research Facility
This historic structure is one of the last of the campus’s “very poor” buildings to undergo seismic retrofit. Construction is scheduled to begin in August. Current occupants are being moved into Shorb House in June.

Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union/ASUC
Renovation work on the Sproul level of the ASUC is expected to start soon. This phase will remodel the space for general book sales. On the lower level, renovation of the Bear’s Lair continues.

Campus periphery

Samuel L. Silver Space Sciences Laboratory
Seismic retrofit expected to be complete in late July or early August.

Berkeley Art Museum partial seismic retrofit
Construction began in April and should be complete in October. The museum is closed for the duration of the project.

College-Durant Student Housing
Construction began in April and continues on schedule. New housing will provide 113 beds for students.

Central Dining and Office Facility
Site work has begun for the new dining facility to serve students living in Units I and II. The building will replace two seismically deficient dining facilities. Demolition of 2401 Bowditch, previously home to housing and dining offices, took place the week of May 14 to make room for the project.
Underhill Lot improvements. Construction began the week of May 21. The entrance on Channing will be rebuilt and upgraded with access improvements. The entrance on Haste will be permanently closed, and overall parking capacity in the lot will be reduced. Plans are to rebuild the structure, providing 1,000 spaces and a rooftop recreation area.

Insectary replacement – Oxford Tract
Construction is scheduled to begin in July. The insectary building is being moved for construction of Seismic Replacement Building I.

Goldman School of Public Policy addition
Construction is under way with grading and soil removal at the site. The northbound lane of LeRoy between Hearst and Ridge is one-way only for the duration of construction.

 


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