"New Dirt"

We dish the latest news, press releases and advisories

	This Week's F&CP Construction News Amherst road crews are back to work on North Pleasant Street between Fearing and Massachusetts Avenue (with an accompanying intermittent detour for east/southbound traffic); Clark Hill Road has re-opened to through trafiic, but a portion of Chancellors Way from Clark Hill Road to the northwest corner of Van Meter is CLOSED this week; and the west end of Chancellors Way is now PERMANENTLY CLOSED as the first phase of the Thatcher Way/Infirmary Way connection project begins... [more]
Note: News items link to original sources, if available. Some web sites may require individual registration to view their material.
	May 26, 2008 - Juanita M. Holler has been named Associate Vice Chancellor for Facilities and Campus Services at UMass Amherst. Holler will oversee the physical plant, facilities and campus planning, and campus services, which include transit services, parking services, Office 2 Office, creative services, and travel services. Holler is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. BusinessWest Online
	March 27, 2008 - Certain areas of the core of the campus will be limited to pedestrians and service vehicles will be barred from those zones starting April 6, according to Pat Daly, director of Physical Plant... In the Loop
	March 25, 2008 - AMHERST, Mass - Work has resumed on the site of a proposed recreation center at the University of Massachusetts after the state gave the go ahead to raze a 99-year-old barn on campus... Republican
	March 1, 2008 - UMass is seeking $9 million in federal grant money to make improvements to the section of North Pleasant Street that runs through the center of campus. Jim Cahill, director of facilities and campus planning, provided a PowerPoint presentation to the Faculty Senate on February 28 outlining some of the improvements under consideration... Daily Hampshire Gazette
	February 15, 2008 - House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi offered a $1-billion plan to support the state's life sciences industry. His plan includes $95 million for a life sciences center at UMass Amherst... Boston Globe, Boston Herald , Republican, Telegram and Gazette, Mass High Tech, Forbes.com and CNNMoney.com
	February 15, 2008 - Higher ed bond bill provides $290.6 million for UMass Amherst projects, including $12.6 million for repairs to Machmer Hall, $41.75 for renovation of the Lederle Graduate Research Center, and $51.3 million for renovation of the Morrill Science Center... Recorder
	November 2, 2007 - AMHERST, Mass. - Officials at the University of Massachusetts Amherst broke ground today for a new, $50-million Recreation Center. The building will be constructed on the east side of Commonwealth Avenue across from the Mullins Center... UMass News & Information Office
	November 2, 2007 - Top advisers to Gov. Deval L. Patrick asked legislators yesterday to approve a sweeping bill to spend $2 billion during the next decade to upgrade old buildings and construct laboratories and classrooms at state colleges and universities... Republican
	November 1, 2007 - University and state officials will break ground for the campus' new Recreation Center on Friday, Nov. 2 at 1:15 p.m. near Dickinson Hall. The $50 million building will be constructed on the east side of Commonwealth Avenue across from the Mullins Center... In the Loop Weekly
	October 10, 2007 - Gov. Deval Patrick is filing legislation today to spend $2 billion over the next decade to pay for repairs and new construction on public college campuses, with the funds evenly split between the UMass system and the state and community colleges... Globe, Republican, iberkshires.com, Southcoasttoday.com, Chronicle of Higher Education
	June 20, 2007 - The University of Massachusetts has won one of the 2007 "Best Concepts" awards from Food Management magazine for the renovation and upgrade of the Berkshire Dining Commons. The annual award program recognizes exceptional achievement in key areas of noncommercial food service... UMass News Office
	May 14, 2007 - Editorials comment on capital investment needs at UMass Amherst. Republican Daily Hampshire Gazette
	May 10, 2007 - The Learning Commons and renovations increase foot traffic at the W.E.B. Du Bois Library. The Daily Collegian
	May 9, 2007 - Building Condition Report released; $833 million required in the next five years. News coverage by: Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Worcester Telegram & Gazette, WPRI TV-12, Republican, and Daily Hampshire Gazette; UMass Office of News & Information press release. Reports are available here un PDF format: Building Condition Report Legacy Buildings: Analysis & Strategic Choices Historical Building Survey
Special Notice	We will no longer be reproducing news articles, in whole or in part, on this web site. Henceforth, all news items will link to original sources. Some web sites may require individual registration to view their material.
	Marriott Center Tops At UMass At a gathering Friday at the University of Massachusetts Campus Center, all eyes were on the new look of the 11th floor... April 30, 2007 - Daily Hampshire Gazette
	New Dirt At UMass: An Update An era of construction forges ahead at the University of Massachusetts, with over a dozen major new building and renovation projects, totaling $710 million, now under way... April 30, 2007 - Daily Hampshire Gazette
	Integrated Science Center To Rise At UMass Construction of the $93 million Integrated Sciences Building at the University of Massachusetts began in September 2006 and is expected to wrap up in the fall of 2008... April 30, 2007 - Daily Hampshire Gazette
	More Than A View From The Top: New Marriott Center Opens On Top Floor Of Campus Center A new $6.3 million facility atop the Campus Center of the University of Massachusetts has opened to make hospitality and tourism management students more competitive, the latest evidence of a UMass strategy to increase its national competitiveness by leveraging state funds with private dollars... April 30, 2007 - The Daily Collegian
	FC&P Construction Cost Symposium White Paper Facilities & Campus Planning hosted a "Construction Cost Symposium" in March that brought together industry leaders to discuss the best ways to predict and control project construction costs. A white paper review and synopsis of the event has now been made available. April 18, 2007 - F&CP
	UMass Water Use Drops; Town Wants Savings AMHERST - Water conservation measures at the University of Massachusetts have been so successful that consumption on campus has declined by 38 percent since 2004, said Town Manager Laurence Shaffer. The reduced usage has implications for the financial relationship between the town and the campus, as well as for Amherst's future water needs and the potential for economic development... March 31, 2007 - Daily Hampshire Gazette
	UMass' Old Chapel Remains Empty After 11 Years Built from local Pelham granite and accented with beautifully hued brown stone quoins from Longmeadow, the Old Chapel is a visual oasis in a barren desert of concrete squares... March 30, 2007 - The Daily Collegian
	UMass Drops Plan For Showcase Auditorium AMHERST - The University of Massachusetts is scrapping plans for a freestanding 500-seat auditorium in favor of a scaled-down classroom and office building with attached auditorium... March 17, 2007 - Daily Hampshire Gazette
	UMass Sees Progress On Repairs AMHERST - The University of Massachusetts at Amherst is making progress in its plan to fix antiquated buildings and build facilities, but costs are likely to grow as new infrastructure goes online, according to an administrative report given at the Faculty Senate meeting... March 16, 2007 - The Republican
	Capital Plan Changes Approved By Trustees More than $46 million in new projects on the Amherst campus have been added to the University's five-year capital plan with the approval of the Board of Trustees... March 15, 2007 - In the Loop
	Give to UMass Amherst UMass Amherst needs your support to help fund the highest quality teaching and research, brightest students, the best faculty and breakthrough programs anywhere... February 26, 2007 - UMass Gateway
	Fix In For Cold Dorms: Software Glitch Repaired In New UMass Complex AMHERST - University of Massachusetts officials say a problem with the heating control system at the new North Residential Area apartments has been fixed. But on Tuesday, students weren't so sure the issue is resolved... February 14, 2007 - Daily Hampshire Gazette
	Rosenberg: State Should Pay For Higher Ed Infrastructure AMHERST - State Sen. Stanley C. Rosenberg has filed a bill that would have the state foot the bill for more than $3 billion in improvements to the infrastructure of Massachusetts' 29 institutions of public higher education... February 1, 2007 - Daily Hampshire Gazette
	Bill Seeks Borrowing For State Campuses AMHERST - The University of Massachusetts system and state and community colleges could see some relief when it comes to financing capital needs on campus if a bonding bill filed by state Sen. Stanley C. Rosenberg, D-Amherst, manages to garner support... January 31, 2007 - The Republican
	Students Flock To Renovated Library AMHERST - Innovative renovations at the University of Massachusetts Learning Commons in the W.E.B. Du Bois Library have increased student use of the library by tens of thousands... December 28, 2006 - Daily Hampshire Gazette
	Campus renovations near completion Students used to detours, delays, dust and noise of construction ubiquitous on campus will soon get a break... November 21, 2006 - The Daily Collegian
	$1.3 Billion To Repair UMass: Deferred Fixes Stir Sticker Shock AMHERST - It will take $1.3 billion to address the needs of deteriorating infrastructure on the UMass-Amherst campus - and the university doesn't have the money to cover it... November 17, 2006 - Daily Hampshire Gazette
	University Faces Big Outlay On Repairs AMHERST - A deferred maintenance study of all the buildings at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst shows there is $1.3 billion worth of repair needs on the campus... November 17, 2006 - The Republican
	UMass Eyes $50M Rec Center AMHERST - The University of Massachusetts is seeking a manager to oversee the construction of a new $50 million student recreation center... November 8, 2006 - Daily Hampshire Gazette
	Design Started For UMass Center AMHERST - The design phase for a $50 million student recreation center at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst is under way, with campus officials hoping construction can start in late spring or early summer... October 29, 2006 - The Republican
	UMass Amherst Recognized With Massachusetts Environmental Purchasing and Sustainability Award AMHERST, Mass. - The University of Massachusetts Amherst was recognized today by state officials for its achievements in energy efficiency, green purchasing and sustainability... October 19, 2006 - UMass News Office
	UMass Digs In For Arts, $25M Deep AMHERST - Construction of a new $25 million Studio Arts Building that seeks to consolidate art programs at the University of Massachusetts into an 'art district' at the North Pleasant Street entrance is under way... October 19, 2006 - Daily Hampshire Gazette
	UMass Buys 5 Houses AMHERST - The University of Massachusetts-Amherst has signed a purchase-and-sale agreement with Alpha Tau Gamma Inc. to buy five fraternity houses on North Pleasant Street for $2.5 million... October 6, 2006 - The Republican
	Present At The Creation - A new Studio Arts Building will bring together faculty, students, and facilities in one place for the first time. With ground officially broken for a new, $25-million Studio Arts Building on October 3, and the move-in date scheduled for January, 2008, art students and faculty are already looking forward to taking occupancy... October 5, 2006 - UMass Gateway
	UMass Amherst Breaks Ground for $25 Million Studio Arts Building AMHERST, Mass. - Officials at the University of Massachusetts Amherst broke ground today for a new, approximately $25-million Studio Arts Building that will bring together a variety of programs and replace small, obsolete facilities currently scattered across campus... October 3, 2006 - UMass News Office
	Dedication of New UMass Student Apartment Complex Designed by ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge Takes Place in Amherst BOSTON--ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge, a nationally-recognized architectural design firm specializing in educational, athletic and biotechnology facilities, announced the dedication of four new residence halls designed by the firm for the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Mass. Dimeo Construction Co. of Providence, R.I. was the construction manager for the $93 million project... September 27, 2006 - Boston/SF
	Faculty Hiring, Facilities Are Top Concerns, Says Lombardi Although the campus is "on the path of recovery" from several years of dramatically reduced state support, careful financial calculations still guide decisions about faculty hiring, building maintenance and capital improvements, Chancellor John V. Lombardi told the Faculty Senate Sept. 21... September 25, 2006 - In the Loop
	UMass Officially Dedicates New Track & Field Complex AMHERST, Mass. - The new $3.1 million outdoor athletic track and field facility was officially dedicated at the University of Massachusetts Amherst on Saturday, Sept. 23... September 23, 2006 - UMass Athletics
	Students Benefit from Summer Improvements, Repairs Totaling More Than $133 Million AMHERST, Mass. - The University of Massachusetts Amherst is in the midst of its own "extreme makeover," with hundreds of millions of dollars worth of renovations, repairs, improvements and new construction projects dotting the campus map as students return for the fall semester... September 5, 2006 - Office of News & Information
	All About The Food The renovated Berkshire Dining Commons aims to be a national showcase... "On this side, they can enjoy slices of brick oven pizza, made to order, sitting at the counter or in a booth. And over here we have the Vegan-Veggie station. Right here is where the salad bar goes. Sushi is served three days a week...and of course our on-site bakeshop..." September 1, 2006 - UMass Gateway
	Happy To Be In Plenty Of Hot Water "Steam lines, water lines, electrical duct banks -they're all the hidden necessities of campus construction," says Jason Venditti, Facilities & Campus Planning project manager for much of the utility work going on around campus. "The only time you notice is when things go wrong..." September 1, 2006 - F&CP
	UMass Dedicates New Dorms AMHERST - The new $92.9 million apartment-style dormitories were dedicated at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst yesterday, marking the first new housing on campus in 35 years... August 23, 2006 - The Republican
	Changes Mark Start Of New College Year A new academic year is about to begin, with "new" being the operative word. Whether it's construction, programs or staff, there's plenty happening in those areas on the campuses of the 13 local colleges and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. On Aug. 23, four new dormitories will be officially dedicated at UMass. The North Residential Area dorms cost $92.5 million, include 864 new beds and are on schedule to be completely finished by the end of August. The dorms are just one of many major construction projects taking over the campus... August 13, 2006 - The Republican
	UMass Claims New Turf AMHERST - Success for an athletic team can be gauged by a progression of improvements each year. But it doesn't just mean success on the field. In the case of the University of Massachusetts, it also could mean improvements to the field itself... August 10, 2006 - The Republican
	Campus Construction Zone - UMass Finally Gets A Facelift This summer, the University of Massachusetts in Amherst seems like one big construction site as some two dozen projects are underway. Heavy trucks and machinery trundle around the campus, roads are laced with dirt from work sites, and all manner of barriers, chain-link fences, detour signs, orange drums and concrete blocks have sprung up along roads and walkways... June 30, 2006 - Daily Hampshire Gazette
	UMass Central Heating Plant Will Fuel The Campus - And The Imagination Ground was broken last month for a new, $118 million central heating plant at UMass Amherst. The facility will replace a 1950s-vintage coal-burning plant that has been obsolete for decades, and will be environmentally friendly in every way - from its unique exterior design to equipment that will significantly reduce emissions of greenhouse gases... June 12, 2006 - BusinessWest Online
	Work Slated To Begin On UMass Class of 1956 Gift AMHERST - The 9-foot-tall Minuteman statue that gazes across the lawn at Campus Pond at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst will soon be surrounded by a stone plaza, thanks to the Class of 1956 and two local landscape architects... June 11, 2006 - The Republican
	Big Hopes For New UMass Heating Plant - 'New Dirt' Proves Wet, As Hadley Project Digs In HADLEY - As heavy rain fell throughout the day Friday, a large pile of dirt with several hard helmets on top remained dry beneath a small tent.Located on the western edge of the University of Massachusetts campus behind the Mullins Center and adjacent to the town of Amherst's wastewater treatment plant, this pile of dirt served as the focal point of the ceremonial groundbreaking for the $118.7 million, 95,000-square-foot central heating plant... May 15, 2006 - Daily Hampshire Gazette
	Groundbreaking Held At UMass Amherst For Environmentally Friendly, $118 Million Heating Plant AMHERST - Groundbreaking ceremonies were held today for a new $118.7 million central heating plant at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a project that will replace an obsolete, coal-burning facility built in the 1940s. Fueled by natural gas and oil, the new plant will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions upon its scheduled completion in March 2008... May 15, 2006 - Office of News & Information

Facilities & Campus Planning

"New Dirt"