University Times

The Board of Trustees property and facilities committee has approved the $7.15 million purchase of a 17,000-square-foot retail and commercial office building at the corner of Forbes Avenue and Atwood Street.

Some operations of the Office of the Chief Financial Officer are housed on the second floor and will remain there, said Greg Scott, senior vice chancellor for Business and Operations. Chipotle Mexican Grill occupies a portion of the first floor retail space. Another portion is under renovation for a new pizza restaurant, Lotsa Mozza.

The two-story building, at 3619-3621 Forbes Ave., currently is owned by M & P Investment Co. Scott said the University is completing its due diligence and anticipates closing on the property this month.

*

In other business at its Dec. 15 public meeting, the committee approved $5.6 million to renovate the first, second and fourth floors of the Barco Law Building and $4.25 million to renovate the 14th floor of the Cathedral of Learning.

Scott said the Barco project, scheduled to begin in spring, will include mechanical updates to building systems that have reached the end of their useful life. In addition, two restrooms will be added on the first floor and common spaces will be upgraded. The work also will create a space to relocate the civil practice law clinic from Sennott Square.

The Cathedral of Learning project will include renovations on the 14th floor for the Department of Communication as well as infrastructure work on the adjacent floors, Scott said. That project, part of the restacking of the Cathedral of Learning (see July 21 University Times) is expected to take nine months, starting in spring.

*

The property and facilities committee has the authority to approve construction projects of more than $2 million and real estate purchases of more than $1 million on behalf of the Board of Trustees.

—Kimberly K. Barlow