Remember waking up to the sound of hammering and drilling in Buddig?

Remember the voice of your professor being drowned out by noises of construction in Monroe Hall?

Despite persistent construction and renovation work during the summer, the sounds of change will be with us a little longer.



BUDDIG

Craig Beebe, director of Residential Life, said there have been many changes to Buddig Hall during the summer. New windows and blinds have been added in one-fourth of the building. New paint and flooring has been completed in all corridors in Buddig. In addition, Beebe said new elevators and new mechanical systems have been installed in Buddig.

Tommy Raymond, director of Construction and Safety, said during the summer a new air conditioning system was added to Buddig. A building envelope with insulation, waterproofing and a new brick exterior have been added to Buddig, also.

During the 2012-2013 academic year, Raymond said there is minimal work left to be done on Buddig. To finish phase one of the project means finishing exterior brick installations as well as window installations, Raymond said.

Beebe said the finalization of the brick exterior will be completed between mid and late October 2012.

CABRA

If you’ve seen Cabra Hall in August, you’ve noticed the residential hall has experienced extensive work during summer 2012.

Beebe said during the summer, much of Cabra’s interior has been gutted for two reasons. There was “an extensive asbestos abatement process” performed on Cabra during the summer. The removal of asbestos and the gutting of much of Cabra have allowed for renovations to take place during the school year.

As for the rest of the semester, Cabra will continue to be under construction to prepare for its re-opening in August 2013. “Cabra Hall will re-open with 160 beds in an apartment-style residence hall. The entire interior of the building will be new,” Beebe said.

MONROE

Work has been completed on Monroe Hall this summer that will prepare the building for upcoming renovations. Raymond said the foundation, utility and infrastructure of Monroe have been worked on.

As for the academic year, Raymond said, “Initial renovation work is planned beginning in December 2012.” Renovation will begin on the fifth floor of Monroe Hall. When these renovations occur, the people occupying those offices on the fifth floor will be relocated to other areas.

However, a permanent relocation of one of the departments on the fifth floor is taking place. Raymond said Loyola’s Information Technology department will be relocated to Monroe Library

Charlie Marshall, director of Facilities Systems, said the updating of Monroe Hall is essential to Loyola as a learning community.

“The Monroe Hall renovation will add much-needed square footage for classrooms, offices, and meeting spaces, while at the same time upgrading the technology and infrastructure of the existing space. Since it is already the largest classroom building on campus, this upgrade will have a huge positive impact on both students and faculty,” said Marshall.

According to Raymond, the work planned for Monroe Hall is expected to have a minimal effect on the rest of the building. He said they are not expecting classes to be impacted by the construction taking place in Monroe Hall.

MILLER HALL

A new construction project at Miller Hall began over the summer.

William Locander, dean of the College of Business, said the front of Miller Hall is under construction to create space for the Ayala Stock Trading room. The stock trading room is due to be finished in late September. A graphic of the expected design of the stock trading room is located at the entrance of Miller Hall.

In order for the university to grow, Marshall said updating various buildings around both campuses is necessary. “Construction and renovation are a major component of any thriving university.”

The aging of a building’s mechanical and structural components, along with the need to incorporate new instructional technologies and sustainability measures, will continue drive that need,” said Marshall.



Aaren Gordon can be reached at [email protected]