U. renovations slated to begin this summer

An assortment of new construction sites will be popping up across campus, thanks to resolutions approved at last week's University Board of Trustees meeting. The projects -- most of which are scheduled to begin this summer -- include significant renovations to Harrison College House, improvements to the Annenberg Plaza on Locust Walk and Annenberg classroom space, new windows in Williams Hall and an upgraded ventilation system in Steinberg-Dietrich Hall. The Harrison renovations -- an estimated $26 million in cost -- will mirror those currently underway at Hamilton College House, including new sprinklers and extensive repairs to the exterior concrete, set to take place this summer. The entire Hamilton project, with new windows, a redesigned lobby and fresh furniture for student rooms, should be completed by fall 2004, according to Vice President for Facilities and Real Estate Omar Blaik. "We were encouraged enough to proceed with Harrison," Chairman of the Board of Trustees James Riepe said last week. In addition to continuing high rise renovations, the Board of Trustees also voted to fund several projects in academic buildings -- including Williams Hall, the Annenberg School for Communication, School of Veterinary Medicine's New Bolton Center and Steinberg-Dietrich Hall. "Most projects can be seen as grassroots in that they bubble up through the system," Blaik said, explaining that because of the University's decentralized financial system, the proposals selected to move forward often depend upon the individual schools' ability to fund projects. In some cases, when schools lack money to proceed but University officials find the proposed developments to be an "institutional priority," additional University funds can be allocated. Resolutions passed last week include $3.9 million for improvements to the Annenberg Plaza, which will partly involve the addition of new landscaping and lighting elements to help create a more open space. "It will be aesthetically much more appealing," Blaik said. Another $1.775 million has been allocated to Annenberg classroom upgrades. New lighting, seating and audiovisual enhancements are planned. Both Annenberg projects will be funded in part by gifts from the Annenberg Foundation, as well as additional funds from the Annenberg Trust. Just across Locust Walk, $1.5 million will be spent to upgrade parts of Steinberg-Dietrich Hall's heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, which University officials say is currently inadequate. The budget will come largely from the Wharton School, with an additional $250,000 from the University's Facilities Renewal Program. An estimated $1.2 million from the School of Arts and Sciences Capital Gift Fund will go toward window replacement of Williams Hall to help improve both the building's appearance and energy efficiency, according to University officials. Rounding out the list, the Board of Trustees approved the Vet School's expanded proposal to spend $2.34 million for renovations of the CMK Building at the New Bolton Center. Last year, the project was approved to spend $2.085 million. As the most extensive project approved by the Board of Trustees last week, Harrison was selected in part due to its lack of office spaces, which will make the project less complicated than the current Hamilton renovations, according to Blaik. With plans calling for additional student spaces, administrative offices currently located in Hamilton will be relocated to the former Stouffer dining space later this spring in preparation for significant construction in Hamilton this summer. Just east of Harrison, Harnwell College House stands to be the final high rise to undergo renovations, which are expected to take two years to complete.