Nearly halfway through the project, progress on the Old Main Building renovation is moving slow, but steady.

“As with any project of this magnitude, there are certain design and construction issues that need to be addressed,” said John McEnrue, director of Facilities Design and Construction.

Recently, demolition work has given way to electrical, plumbing and HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) work being conducted on all three floors of the building.

McEnrue reported that the building will receive LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification upon completion thanks to an aggressive construction-debris recycling program – making it the first campus building to achieve such a designation.

The building is scheduled to be ready for classes in fall 2011.

The view from the lower level of the Student Union. Haggerty Administation Building is in the background.

Over the summer, the Facilities Design and Construction staff worked on more than $30 million worth of projects all across campus.

“I am very pleased with the exceptional effort our staff put forth completing an extraordinary amount of projects this summer under very tight time constraints,” said John Shupe, assistant vice president for facilities management.

Highlights of the construction taking place include:

New dining destinations

Oscar’s, the late-night eatery in Hasbrouck Dining Hall, will reopen this fall as the Hawk Street Station, a subway-inspired eatery featuring items, such as burgers, wings and pasta entrees. The shop will also sell convenience items, such as cereal, chips and ramen noodles. The Watch Me DVD store has been converted to a sandwich outlet, The S Stop.

Smolen Observatory constructed on campus

Construction of a 320-square-foot observatory, located near the Alumni Soccer Field, will be complete in September. Built as a bequest from Muriel Smolen, in honor of her husband, Jack Smolen, the Smolen Observatory is a sturdy shed with a slide-off roof. Inside will be a telescope permanently mounted on a pedestal. Additional telescopes can be stored, and used on specially built stands outside the structure. A wireless data-link will eventually allow for automated data collection from other instruments. When not used for classes, the observatory will be available to the public.

High-temperature, hot water nears completion

The work on the third phase of the high-temperature, hot-water replacement project will continue into the fall. Phase III, which began earlier this summer, stretches from Scudder Hall to Bouton Hall, as well as between the Humanities Building and the Jacobson Faculty Tower. When it is complete, more than two miles of pipe will have been installed during the three-year, three-phase project.

Residence halls renovations

A number of improvements to the residence halls have been made this summer including renovation of the interiors of College, Shango, Bouton and Scudder halls; installation of the sprinkler system in Gage Hall; replacement of roofs on College and Shango halls, Hasbrouck Dining Hall and the Service Building; replacement of the windows and curtain walls in Gage Hall; and replacement of oven hoods in the kitchenettes.

Walkways and pavement improvements

Upgrades are being made to the campus’s pavements and walkways around the Campus Pond, south of the Student Union, as well as near Bouton Hall and the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art.

Student Union status

The Student Union addition is moving ahead. The steel frame of the new section began going up the first week of August and should take five weeks. The next phase is laying down flooring and enclosing the building’s frame. Project completion is scheduled for mid-2010.

Old Main renovation continues

The renovation of the Old Main Building continues. Walls are being constructed throughout the building and then utilities and services, including wiring, plumbing and telecommunication, will be installed. The building is scheduled to reopen in fall 2011.

Humanities smart classrooms

Nine smart classrooms are being installed on the third floor of the Humanities Building in conjunction with the Instructional Media Services staff. The Humanities Building is now, with the exception of two rooms, completely outfitted with technology-enhanced classrooms. Each new room will feature a computer with network connection, ceiling-mounted data projector and speakers, power screen, document camera, laptop connection, Crestron push button control panel and larger whiteboards.

Looking ahead, there are a number of projects heading into the design phase, most notably are the first two phases of the campus’s Site and Landscape Master Plan.

Facilities Master Plan

Proposed in 2008, the Site and Landscape Master Plan is a comprehensive, 15-year design outline, divided into three parts. Phases I and II include the creation of Mohonk Walk; a redesign of the Academic Concourse; extension of the Route 32 parking lot; renovation of the Hasbrouck Complex landscape; and improvements to the Campus Pond. Shupe said work on the Academic Concourse and Hasbrouck Complex could begin as soon as next summer.

Wooster Science Building renovation

Key elements to the Wooster Science Building renovation involve a programmatic needs assessment to the entire facility, which, in part, includes absorbing offices from the Faculty Office Building as recommended by the Landscape Master Plan. There are also plans to put a food court and dining hall on the ground floor of the building. The renovation committee is in the process of selecting an architectural project consultant.

Sojourner Truth Library renovation

The goal is to restructure, reorganize and renovate the current Sojourner Truth Library building in order to meet the campus’ current and future needs. A site visit and walk through took place in late July with the top five architectural firms. The design phase will take place once an architectural firm is selected.

By Danielle Chery ‘09 (Journalism)
Public Affairs intern

Miscellaneous construction waste materials from the Old Main Building renovation project are dropped into the Taylor Recycling dumpsters next to the building. The materials are then taken to the company’s yard where it is sorted by material type for recycling. David Smith (Facilities Design and Construction) said approximately 90 percent of all materials removed from building are going into a recycled waste stream. Photo submitted

The benefits of the Old Main Building renovation can already be seen in the amount of materials being recycled and reused from the construction site.

The college is well on its way toward receiving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. LEED provides a list of standards for environmentally sustainable construction, said Director of Facilities Design and Construction John McEnrue. Certification will be awarded upon completion of the project.

New Paltz needs to earn between 26 and 32 points for LEED certification. Materials recycled and reused from the project play a significant role in attaining that level.

“Our ideal for the Old Main renovation project is to reach Silver certification status,” said McEnrue. Silver certification ranges from 33 to 38 points. A total of 69 points can be earned with LEED, which results in attaining Platinum certification.

McEnrue and Architect David Smith (Facilities Management) are putting forth effort to create an eco-friendly campus.

For years the campus has been recycling materials from all construction sites; however, the recycling standards for Old Main Building have higher expectations. The monthly goal for the Old Main Building was to recycle 75 percent of the materials. According to the Old Main monthly waste management tracking report, workers have managed to save between 91 and 94 percent from September to December 2008. Most of the materials are
sent to the Taylor Recycling Facility in Montgomery, N.Y., for grinding and molding.

The Old Main waste materials include:

• Clean wood
• Asphalt, brick, concrete
• Cardboard and paper
• Metal – Aluminum
• Sheetrock
• Miscellaneous Construction Waste

McEnrue and Smith are also aiming to recycle the marble from Old Main and possibly reapply them in the walls of the building.

McEnrue said he can’t imagine not recycling. “In addition to considering the environment, there are also huge cost benefits to recycling,” he said.