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| Admin building gets
facelift, addition |
Carrie Baker
Business Affairs Beat
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Jacque Lenz | The AppalachianJunior music education major Wendi
A. Barber from Weddington studies Wednesday on the rear entrance
steps of B.B. Dougherty.
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B.B. Dougherty Administration
Building construction perseveres, despite seasonal setbacks.
W. Kelly Ingram, of the design and construction
staff, said only the outside work on the administration building
has been affected by recent inclement weather.
“The interior work is going fine,” Ingram
said.
The administration building houses the Graduate
Studies and Research offices, Business Affairs offices, Design and
Construction offices, Student Development offices and the chancellor’s
office. |
Construction
is taking place on the second floor, Graduate Studies and Research,
and third floor, Business Affairs and Design and Construction, Ingram
said.
Ingram said they are working on the elevator in the building, refurbishing
the bathrooms, creating additional office space and conference rooms
and revamping the air conditioning.
Dr. Clyde D. Robbins, director of design and construction and project
manager for the administration building project, said the bond-funded
project will create an additional 5,400 square feet.
This extra space will include lobby space and conference rooms for
the building.
Robbins said the revamping of the bathrooms and elevators will bring
the building up to Americans Disabilities Act standards.
One inconvenience of the project was a “real shortage of bathrooms”
since the work on existing bathrooms has left only two of the facilities
operational, Robbins said.
Other safety features will be added, such as a new fire alarm for
the building, Robbins said.
Robbins said the project started six to eight weeks ago and has
seen only small delays.
The outside work on the steel frame visible on the building’s
facade has currently stopped, but interior work will continue as
scheduled, Robbins said.
Robbins said the contractor has asked for and is entitled to a 19-day
extension to handle the delays brought by snow and other bad weather
conditions.
“This winter we have seen a greater number of days qualified
as weather days,” Robbins said.
Robbins said the contractor may choose to work with more people
in the warmer weather months to catch up and avoid overhead costs.
“[The project] is pretty much where we expect it to be,”
Robbins said.
Robbins said despite the delays the project should be finished close
to the contractors original finish date in June.
Annie M. Leashomb, who works on the second floor of B.B. Dougherty
with student services, said the “noise and fumes” from
the construction are noticeable, but the construction itself is
important.
“It’s a pain but necessary,” Leashomb said.
Ginger A. Stegall, who works on the third floor in B.B. Dougherty,
said work in the building continues as usual around the construction.
“It’s one of those things you just work around,”
Stegall said. |
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