Royal Purple

Issue date: 10/1/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Kaitlynn Parrott Construction crew members work on completing Hyland Hall, the new business and economics college. The building is expected to be complete by this summer and ready for classes in fall 2009. The project will cost the university approximately $41 million.

Finally, after months of construction parts of the Wyman Mall leading from Hyer to the University Center have been opened to hundreds of students.

The rest of the mall from will be open soon according to university officials.

"Construction is always going to have some impact on life of students and faculty." Jeff Janz, Interim Dean of Student Life, said, "The planners have to be careful to attend to any special needs and changes making plans to have sidewalks accessible for students."

The renovation is blocking off many areas along Wyman Mall and students will need to use alternate entrances for McGraw Hall and Andersen Library. Hyer Hall's main entrance reopened last week.

"Today I had to follow a maze of blocked off sidewalks just to get to a computer lab to print out an assignment," senior Sam Hatala said, "Students are just going to have to get an earlier start and be aware that the usual route they take to class may not be open.

The southern part of Wyman Mall is undergoing a $2.8 million renovation. The work being done is to replace outdated and overburdened underground utilities. Renovations on the north end of the mall are short-term projects and will be completed shortly.

Completion of Hyland Hall is also ahead of schedule and looks to be finished months earlier than expected. The $41 million dollar building broke ground in summer of 2007.

"The work in the business building is increasingly entering the building itself, that's ahead of schedule and goes











into the spring." Janz said, "[Hyland Hall] should be finished by mid-spring semester and not summer."

Construction on two parking lots is being done to provide parking space once Lot 3 is demolished to make room for the new suite-style residence hall. The areas to be converted to parking space are along Warhawk Drive and Starin Road near Drumlin Hall and the space east of Carlson Hall.

Continued...

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