The new pedestrian bridge between the main quad, Mary Graydon Center and Butler Pavilion will open this weekend after unstable soil found over the summer forced delays in its construction, according to University Architect Jerry Gager.
"We found some unsuitable soil, so we had to change some engineering aspects of the structure," he said.
MGC's main entrance will then close for two to three weeks as workers complete the currently unfinished renovations to the entrance, a project that had been in the planning stages since the early 1990s.
Nia Jones, a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs, said she is happy that the MGC alterations were close to completion.
"I'm glad it's going to make AU look better," she said. "I think the aesthetics make AU more appealing."
Other construction projects progressed this summer.
The expansion of the Kogod School of Business building is on schedule, with the expansion into the skeleton of the former New Lecture Hall set to open during the spring semester, Gager said.
"Interior [construction] is progressing well," he said. "Drywall is getting ready to be placed on interior walls."
The building's expansion will add seven classrooms, a financial services lab, two smaller labs, a student lounge and a career center, Gager said.
On the other side of the quad, focus at the site of the new School of International Service building has begun to shift from excavation to construction. The large pit next to the current SIS building is currently 40 feet deep, allowing for two levels of planned underground parking, according to Gager.
The SIS building should be complete by 2010, he said.
Bo Hammond, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said he is disappointed at how long the new SIS building has taken to complete.
"It's a little ridiculous that we're spending this much money and we won't even get to see the result," he said.
Other projects completed this summer included a renovation of Centennial Hall and a new entrance for Bender Library.
University Librarian Bill Mayer said the new entrance is part of the library's deferred maintenance plan.
"I love the new entrance," he said. "I wish I could take credit for it. I'd love to know if students are happy with the new doors."
The alterations made to Centennial include new carpet, paint and lounge remodeling.
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Related: Centennial renovations debuted |
The long-planned renovation of the McKinley Building, which will then house the School of Communication, is on hold while university seeks additional funding, he said.
Gager said the numerous construction projects remind him of the time during the 1980s when AU experienced a similar construction boom.
"We were building the sports center, Centennial Hall and renovating [Tenley campus]," he said.
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