Construction and campus renovations continue at Gustavus as the new academic building comes together and other projects begin to take shape. The academic building is on schedule for its completion date of summer or early fall of 2011. Other projects materializing include the addition of new outdoor recreational zones to supplement residential living areas and an on-campus disc golf course.

“In the last week and a half, they have installed a good share of the stone on the north side,” Director of Physical Plant Warren Wunderlich said. One of the most important aspects in the construction at this point is getting the building walled and enclosed before winter temperatures and snow fall cause extra costs in heat and labor. The contractor’s plan is to have the exterior stone panels and glass installed by mid-December.

“The critical path for them is getting enclosed before too much winter disruption happens,” Wunderlich said. Once the building is enclosed, and even slightly prior to that, the metal studs for partitions and some of the plumbing and electrical “rough-ins” will begin to be installed. After the building has been enclosed and will be dry for the winter, the installation of sheetrock can begin. By mid to late January, the new academic building should be taking on its final shape in regard to the floor plan. Though the building seems skeletal at this point, Wunderlich said the appearance of the building will change dramatically in the next two months of construction.

One of the unique and efficient features of the building in its construction stage is the material being used for the exterior: a treated Kasota stone.

“The technology of the building is a little different—the enclosure is pre-cast panels with the stone already applied to it,” Wunderlich said. The process saves time in completing the exterior of the building and also saves resources because scaffolding and the use of plastic sheeting is greatly reduced or eliminated.

“It’s a more sensible way to build a building in the winter here,” Wunderlich said.

Another project that has been in the works for some time at Gustavus is the addition of new outdoor recreational zones, similar to the area overlooking the visitor parking lot between Norelius Hall and Complex, in areas around campus convenient to other residence halls.

“Student Senate has come forward now and is wanting to engage in the conversation, and be a partner in the creation of these [recreation areas],” Director of Residential Life Charlie Strey said. The areas that the duo of Residential Life and Student Senate are designing will likely include basketball and sand volleyball courts, fire pits, a permanent outdoor grill and picnic tables. The idea for additional outdoor recreational areas had been passed back and forth between Residential Life and Physical Plant a number of times, and now the Student Senate’s Outdoor Recreation Committee (ORC) has added their support.

“I hope that we can be the springboard to get things rolling on it,” ORC Committee Chair Joey Nowariak said. Nowariak and the ORC originally brought up the idea for adding grills on campus, and the plans developed from there. Students outside the Senate had expressed interest in having public use grills, and Residential Life often uses grills for their events, so the Senate-Residential Life pairing may be the mutually beneficial partnership that the project has needed.

The ORC has also advanced its plans for an on-campus disc golf course. After mapping and throwing discs on the prospective area the course would cover, the ORC is prepared to present their plans to both Physical Plant and the Student Senate for final approval and to discuss funding. The course is tentatively set to run from behind Norelius Hall around the perimeter of campus to Southwest Hall.

“When we take [the plans] to Student Senate, that’s really when we’re at the nuts and bolts—this is our game plan, this is how much everything is going to cost—let’s do it,” Nowariak said.