University Times

The Oakland campus continues to be a hub of construction and renovation activity, with several capital projects underway. Construction projects also highlight the changing landscape at three of Pitt’s regional campuses.

Following are brief descriptions of ongoing and recently completed capital projects on the Pittsburgh, Bradford, Greensburg and Johnstown campuses. The information was provided by the Office of Facilities Management.

Periodic updates on major construction and renovation projects can be accessed at the Facilities Management web site: www.umc.pitt.edu/renovate/.

(For more on “what’s new” at individual units on all five Pitt campuses, see Sept. 2 University Times.)

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Ongoing construction projects on the Pittsburgh campus include: * Biomedical Science Tower 3 (BST3) – (projected cost: $188 million).

Work continues on this projects, which is a 10-story (plus basement), 326,300 gross sq. ft. building on Fifth Avenue between Lothrop and Darragh Streets.

BST3 will house approximately 50 research groups and have a number of shared facilities, including state-of-the-art equipment crucial to modern developmental biology studies. The building will be ready for partial occupancy next spring; the building is expected to be completed by the end of 2005.

* Cathedral of Learning upgrades and deferred maintenance – ($5.9 million)

This project includes renovation of 49 classrooms on the 2nd and 3rd floors, including installation of new ventilation, air conditioning and fire protection systems, as well as new lighting, ceiling replacements and painting of the rooms. Classrooms on the Bellefield Avenue side of the building were renovated this summer with the remainder to be completed by the end of the calendar year.

The project also involves infrastructure improvements on the 7th, 8th and 9th floors of the building, including the 9th floor lobby, 9th floor Fifth Avenue/Bigelow Boulevard/Forbes Avenue wings, and the Forbes Avenue side of the 7th floor. Work on those floors is expected to be completed in November.

* Chevron Science Center ventilation upgrades – ($8.5 million) The project consists of the upgrade and/or replacement of the building’s ventilation and related system components to meet various code and research-related requirements. The project includes installation of a new roof-mounted air-handling system to supply 100 percent outdoor air to the labs as required to meet state-of-the-art ventilation demands.

Project bids recently have been awarded and the construction project is just getting underway, with completion expected in August 2005. Pitt’s K parking lot will be closed during the upgrades, and will be used as a storage and office trailer area.

* Clapp/Langley/Crawford (CLC) complex expansion, upgrades and deferred maintenance – ($25.5 million)

This construction project consists of an addition of approximately 50,000 gross sq. ft. to the CLC complex. The addition will house generic research laboratories for the biological sciences, as well as the neuroscience research programs, and will support areas such as cold rooms, constant temperature rooms, computer areas and other auxiliary spaces.

Also included is the first phase of renovation of the CLC complex’s systems infrastructure, as required to accommodate the building’s future research needs. The infrastructure work includes new plumbing, HVAC, and fire protection and laboratory systems on the 2nd and 4th floors of Langley Hall.

Bids have been awarded and the project has been started. The construction schedule has not been finalized.

* Trees Hall renovations – ($5.1 million)

Trees Hall is being renovated for the gymnastics and other athletic and recreation programs. The gymnastics room and dance studio are available for use. A climbing wall is being erected in the large gym, and the roof replacement is nearing completion. Work has begun in the racquetball courts and in the swimming pool area.

Also included in the project are general building upgrades and renovation/replacement of building systems and equipment. Phase I of the project will be completed this fall; phase II will be completed fall 2005.

* McCormick Hall renovations – ($4,171,000)

The project will improve mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, reconfigure living spaces, provide new finishes and fixtures, and comply with current building codes. Renovation work is underway and scheduled for completion next spring.

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Recently completed projects on the Pittsburgh campus include:

* Barco Law Library renovation – ($1.5 million)

The recently completed renovation of 36,000 sq. feet of space on the 3rd, 4th and 5th floors of the Barco Law Building includes flooring and ceiling finish replacement, painting, lighting replacement, power, data and HVAC modifications, window treatments, a new circulation desk at the 4th floor entry and new furniture.

* Posvar Hall space renovations, phase II – ($4,158,000)

The two-year project to consolidate academic units and functions and to make more efficient use of space in Posvar Hall was completed this summer. The renovations encompassed approximately 104,000 sq. feet.

Phase II of the project consisted of:

– Reconfiguring and renovating the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs space on the 3rd floor, including new furnishings and equipment;

– Improvements to classrooms, including new furnishings and equipment; – Improvements to public corridors and department entrances, and – Replacement of signage.

There is a new numbering system throughout the building. (See story on page XX.)

* Pennsylvania Hall construction – ($22,142,600) Pitt’s newest student residence hall opened last month, adding 420 beds for student housing on the upper campus.

The nine-story building features two types of student accommodations: suites and “hotel style” rooms. Student suites accommodate four students in two bedrooms, with two full bathrooms and a common living area. Student “hotel rooms” accommodate two students in one bedroom with one full bathroom.

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Recently completed and ongoing construction projects at Pitt’s regional campuses include:

Bradford

* Communications, Art and Technology (CAT) Building, phase II construction – ($8.5 million)

Phase II of the CAT Building, now completed, consisted of construction of an approximately 26,000 gross sq. ft. addition to the building.

The addition includes a main building lobby, a 500-seat theatre with proscenium arch and stage, an art gallery, dressing rooms, a scene shop and offices. The project also added parking, landscaping, exterior lighting and sidewalks.

* New student housing construction – ($4,260,000)

The cornerstone to a new residence hall was laid this month. The buillidng will be a three-story structure with a 103-bed capacity. Each of the three floor areas will be 10,285 sq. ft., with a total gross floor area of 30,285 sq. ft.

The two- and three-bedroom suites will include two full bath rooms, living room, kitchenette, and storage closet. Single bedroom suites have a bathroom, living room and kitchenette. The building is expected to be completed July 2005.

Greensburg

* Chambers Hall, student dining hall renovations – ($4,240,000) Construction commenced in May on this project that includes adding 7,200 gross sq. ft. to the first floor and the renovation of 8,800 gross sq. ft. to the existing dining room and food preparation area of Chambers Hall.

The renovations will more than double the dining capacity of the facility to approximately 390 seats. The dining area will have the flexibility to be subdivided into a smaller student meeting/dining room and an executive dining room.

The existing executive dining room will be demolished as part of the construction to improve the entrance to the dining facility, and the snack bar seating area will be expanded to accommodate a total of about 100 snack bar seats.

* New student housing – ($3,760,000)

Construction also began in May of a three-story building with 97 beds for student housing. The new 33,500 sq. ft. facility will include 24 student apartments, each accommodating four students in separate bedrooms, as well as one apartment for the resident director. I

n addition, each apartment will have two full bathrooms, a living room, and a kitchenette.

Johnstown

* Hickory Hall renovation – ($1,730,000)

The recently completed Hickory Hall project consisted of renovations and upgrades of building systems, fixtures, hardware and finishes, and the installation of a new sprinkler system and fire alarm system, as well as replacement of all furnishings.

* Owens Library renovation, phase I- ($5,660,000) Phase I renovations to the Owens Library, now completed, included interior and exterior improvements, upgrades to building systems and Americans With Disabilities Act-compliance improvements.

* New student housing – ($4,922,000)

Construction began in July of a three-story building with 108 beds. The 35,200 sq. ft. facility will include apartment units each accommodating four students in separate bedrooms. In addition to the separate bedrooms for each student, each apartment will have two full bathrooms, a living room and a kitchenette.

-Peter Hart