The CU campus is undergoing major construction projects.
According to Megan Rose of CU’s facilities management, those projects in the process of construction are the Center for Community, the Visual Arts Complex and the Institute for Behavioral Sciences.
CU completed work at Regent Crossing, which elevated Regent Drive 20 feet over the existing pedestrian and bicycle crosswalk, which makes for an easier commute.
“That sight was a huge traffic zone,” Rose said. “Fifty thousand vehicles are down there per day with about 2000 pedestrians illustrating the volume. The crossing should prevent injuries.”
Another construction project currently underway on campus is the Center for Community.
The Center for Community is intended to provide support services, such as study abroad and career services, as well as student programs and a residential dining area. A two-level parking garage will also be available for students’ use.
”The dining hall is expected to open in August of 2010 with the rest of the programs moving in throughout September and October of the same year,” Rose said.
Rose also explained that the Center for Community will bring all the student programs into one building, as well as combine the services of the Cheyenne Arapahoe and Kittredge Commons dining halls, both of which are currently out of date. Plans for the dining area include eight different food stations including a café and grab-and-go with late night pizza.
CU also awaits the completion of the Visual Arts Complex, a new building appealing to students in the fine arts and art history programs.
Rose said that the building should be completed by December. The art museum, which will include various international exhibits, will be open in March. Although the building is primarily intended for art students, other students are encouraged to take classes in the department and visit the museum as well. Large building projects like this usually require heavy machinery from a crane leasing company, needing diesel fuel delivery on site.
Alongside the other construction underway at CU, a building is being erected to house the Institute for Behavioral Sciences, which will combine several different current complexes. Rose said that officials in the program will hire a hydraulic crane along with several other pieces of heavy machinery in an attempt to expedite the process. This is mainly due to the fact that they have wanted this building to be constructed for nearly fifty years.
While many projects are just beginning, some are just about finished.
Most of the interior in Norlin Library has been remodeled and is nearing completion, according to Rose.
Students have expressed mixed reactions concerning the projects that are underway.
“The construction is loud and annoying,” freshman Psychology major Carly Weinstein said. “I’d like quiet hours without construction.”
Michael Larsen, a sophomore Geology major, says there are benefits to the construction.
“The construction is worthwhile,” Larsen said.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Sara Fruman at Sara.Fruman@Colorado.edu.
