Preparations and exploratory work are under way to prepare Buddig Hall for the renovations that will start this summer.

Director of Residential Life Craig Beebe said conducting the preparatory and exploratory phases now would allow for the first major phase of renovations to take place during the summer. Buddig will be open this fall to welcome students for the 2012-2013 school year. Final renovations on Buddig will occur next summer.

Beebe said crews are currently preparing the outside of Buddig for removal of its bricks. They have also installed a vapor barrier to block water vapor. In test rooms and mechanical rooms, they have installed new windows to test wind resistance.

As a result of this preliminary work, changes, such as the temporary sidewalk in front of Buddig, have been implemented. In addition, Loyola University Police Department Capt. Roger Pinac said LUPD is trying to keep traffic flow on North Road to one direction because of the “safety buffer” that is being used while the exterior bricks are removed. Though the university shuttle has been re-routed, it will still travel the same stops.

Pinac said preliminary work has not caused any traffic disturbances, other than occasional “slow ups.” To ease any potential vehicular traffic jams, Pinac said officers patrol traffic at peak times, such as 5 p.m.

Though Beebe said he does not expect this work to affect student services, he said occasional noise will affect students in Buddig, as crews are scheduled to work during daylight hours.

Like LUPD officers, students are finding the temporary adjustments nearly seamless.

As a resident of Buddig, psychology sophomore Maddy Fox sees the preliminary work as positive partially because the noise, has made it more likely for her to go to the library to do school work. “Overall I think Loyola has done an effective job of keeping any disruption to a minimum,” Fox said.

Aaren Gordon can be reached at [email protected].