Construction

Above: Jeff and Jerry Bates work on a piece of pipe that is part of the 10th Street construction. Workers replaced the old deteriorated pipes from the 1950s. The project turned 10th Street into a one-way street for most of the summer causing traffic problems and annoying a few people as well. Photo by Matt McClain.

Campus gets e l< over

Renovations affect all areas of Universi -y

Fl or months, loud whirs, screeches and rumbles of construction equipment echoed across campus as IU changed some of its framework. Traffic jams and bulldozers plodding through campus were common nuisances in the summer, but when students returned to classes in September, most of the streets were clear and parts of campus had a fresh face.

Most of the construction noise came from 10th Street, starting just west of the Main Library and ending at Ashton Quad. The project focused on replacing deteriorated steam pipes from the 1950s found in the underground tunnel system. Tenth Street, one of the busiest streets on campus, turned into a one-lane, one-way street causing slower traffic and delays for students and Bloomington residents.

Junior Jason Bryan delivered furniture during the summer and said construction slowed everything down. "I was late for every delivery and I had a hard time getting places. It was just a big pain," he said.

However, the construction did not cause inconveniences for all students. Senior Laurence Nibur said the construction only affected him because he had to walk around the work sites to get to the library.

Nibur worked as a summer IU tour guide. He said the construction did not alter tours, though some parents questioned why so much was under way at the same time. "I told them that most of the construction on campus is done during the summer, since that's when there are the least amount of students here," he said.

Crews completed the $2.5 million 10th Street job two weeks after students started to arrive for the fall semester. The reduction to one lane of this main thoroughfare caused chaos for the thousands who moved back into town. The blocked roads caused problems for students moving into Wright, Teter, Ashton and Eigenmann.

Senior Phil Larson, a Resident Assistant for Ashton-Mason said moving day made the stressful situation worse. "They got most of it done by the time the students got back, but the 10th Street lot wasn't open yet," Larson said. "The Ashton lots were all full and there was nowhere to park." continued

by Melissa Gudell

Above: Jerry Bates welds a steam pipe on 10th Street. During the summer construction, students walked around the vast construction sites to get into the library and other parts of campus. The 10th street construction was only the beginning of the University's summer-long renovations. Photo by Matt McClain.

Campus construction began before the mercury even started to rise. As summer heated up, so did the renovation of the IU Outdoor Pool, located at the corner of Fee Lane and 17th Street. Built in 1967, the pool had never been remodeled. The $1.3 million project replaced electrical systems, underwater lighting and the concrete pool deck.

The original pool bottom consisted of nothing more than painted concrete. Its public opening in July revealed new lining systems in all three pools to make them look nicer. New guard chairs around the pools, along with slip-resistant flooring put the finishing touches on the project. A heating system was also added for cool days. "We took good care of it. People just loved it and made comments on how clean it was," said Monica Chapin who worked at the pool this summer.

Construction continued through campus with additions and renovations on several academic buildings. Completion of the new four-story School of Music library, recital hall. recording studios, extra classroom space and new fountain brought additional changes. "The project brings the School of Music buildings into a cluster within feet of each other. It's one more step to bringing the campus together," said Ray Casati, a consultant for the University Architects.

Offices, seminar rooms, a computer cluster and the Latin American Music Center were features in the new Music Library. And both the Auer and Ford Recital Halls showed off state-of-the-art recording facilities. "It's probably the most complete music facility in the country that is attached to a school of music," said music professor and Jazz Department Chairperson David Baker. "My excitement knows no bounds."

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Far Left: Utility workers pull out a phone cable damaged during the construction. In a later stage, repairs were made to replace casualties of the construction. Photo by Matt McClain.

Above: Tony Wolsky prepares the drill to continue work on steam pipe construction. Sedimentary shale and cement caused problems for the workers as they dug beneath the sidewalk's surface. Photo by Matt McClain.

Left: John Keesling tries to tighten a broken water pipe. Construction on 10th Street started in May and stretched into the beginning of the school year.

Photo by Matt McClain.

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Above: Tony Wolsky takes a break after an exhausting day of working in 90 degree heat. The workers started each day at 6a.m. and finished at 3p.m. The 10th Street construction was done by Bowen Construction Co. out of Indianapolis. Various construction companies bid on each of the campus projects. Photo by Matt McClain. Top: Roger Harden of IMI construction watches as Tony Wolsky fills a hole with cement on I Oth Street. The project was supposed to be completed before students arrived but it lasted until the start of fall semester. Photo by Matt

McClain.

Other expansions occurring on campus included a redesign of the Alumni Building and a three-story addition to the telecommunications building. This addition, with projected completion in the summer of 1997, included classrooms, faculty offices and more auditorium space.

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of campus, the renovation of parking lots put the finishing touches on the campus' make-over. Landscaping the Von Lee parking lot on Indiana and Kirkwood Avenues cost drivers 90 parking spaces. Different construction phases redistributed the lost spots to other lots.

The renovating and redesigning caused some inconvenience, but resulted in a positive outcome. "It was the busiest summer in the history of IU," Terry Clapacs, Vice President of Administration said. "It was a very ambitious and demanding program, but it was completed on time, while keeping with the very high aesthetic standards of TU."

Above: A construction worker stands on the iron skeleton of the new telecommunications building. The building was projected to be finished in March 1998, included classrooms, faculty offices and more auditorium space.

Photo by Matt McClain.