"New Dirt"
We dish the latest news, press releases and advisories
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This Week's F&CP Construction News |
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June 24, 2009 - Renovation of the 116 rooms at the University of Massachusetts Campus Center is complete and the $9.2 million project came in on budget and on time, according to Meredith E. Schmidt. director of the Campus Center-Student Union complex... |
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May 20, 2009 - UMass Amherst Magazine highlights the new Central Heating Plant in We Got Steam Heat and the new Integrated Science Building in Open Spaces, Open Minds in the Spring, 2009 issue... |
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April 23, 2009 - New UMass heating plant said to cut carbon dioxide emissions, reduce utility costs and conserve 65 million gallons of water a year... |
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March 12, 2009 - A new $5 million University Transit Center and Regional Traveler Information Center was dedicated March 9. The 16,000-square-foot facility features a spacious vehicle garage, driver-training facility and state-of-the-art operations center for the Regional Traveler Information Center (RTIC)... |
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March 12, 2009 - Patrick Daly, director of Physical Plant, discusses what researchers can do to minimize the impact of unanticipated power outages on campus... |
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February 2, 2009 - Another step in the wave of building projects on campus has been completed, as the $92 million Integrated Sciences Building opened for classes this semester... |
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January 8, 2009 - To improve patient parking access, gates have been installed at the newly reconstructed University Health Services lot on Thatcher Way... |
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December 23, 2008 - Landscape modifications can improve the appeal of a campus. For example, in the Southwest Residential Area at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, broad lawns along University Drive offer a welcome, bucolic contrast to the urban character of the Southwest complex and underscore the experience of arriving on campus. Because ground-floor residences in the complex lacked screening from outdoor activities, and because the landscape generally is devoid of color during the winter months, tall evergreen trees were added to soften the look of the entire area... |
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December 18, 2008 - Gov. Deval Patrick has announced a $1.575 billion capital plan for the next year that includes projects for the UMass Amherst campus, including $10 million for the W.E.B. Du Bois Library, $750,000 to help pay for a new science building, $250,000 for new classrooms and $1 million for a new campus master plan... UMass Amherst Daily News Summary, Republican |
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December 17, 2008 - AMHERST - The University of Massachusetts will be a little colder and the chancellor's office a little thinner when officials implement more than $3 million in cuts to deal with an anticipated $38 million shortfall in fiscal 2010, Chancellor Robert C. Holub announced Tuesday... |
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November 21, 2008 - AMHERST - The University of Massachusetts is now realizing more than $5 million in energy savings a year, following a variety of conservation measures initiated over the past several years. That was the word on Thursday from Joyce M. Hatch, the vice chancellor of administration and finance.... |
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November 20, 2008 - Several changes are underway on Massachusetts Avenue in an effort to improve pedestrian safety, according to Jim Hunt of Facilities and Campus Planning... |
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September 27, 2008 - Trustees of the University of Massachusetts on Friday unanimously approved a five-year, $2.56 billion building plan that includes a host of projects on the Amherst campus... |
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September 19, 2008 - The campus today dedicated a new, $26.5 million Studio Arts Building, providing a striking new home for a variety of programs formerly scattered across campus. The event also marked the 50th anniversary of the Art Department... |
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September 15, 2008 - UMass Amherst recently opened the doors to a new, $26 million Studio Arts Building. The facility brings together a number of two- and three-dimensional art programs that had been scattered across the vast campus - often in facilities that were cramped and not up to modern building codes - and creates, with the nearby Fine Arts Center, what one administrator calls an "integrated arts district" on campus... |
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September 11, 2008 - A five-year, $2.56 billion capital plan approved by the University of Massachusetts trustees Administration and Finance Committee includes nearly $1 billion for the Amherst campus... |
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September 2, 2008 - UMass Amherst officials report they spent $40 million on various renovations to campus buildings and campus infrastructure during the summer months. Jim Cahill, director of facilities and campus planning, comments... |
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August 29, 2008 - UMass Amherst Central Heating Plant wins Combined Cycle Journal's 2008 Pacesetter Plant Award "For melding state-of-the-art energy conversion equipment, system redundancy, and innovative building design into one of the nation's most attractive, efficient, reliable, and environmentally benign [combined heat and power] facilities"... |
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July 25, 2008 - A $12.5 million station for the University of Massachusetts police that will triple the amount of space for the department, and is expected to be among the most environmentally friendly buildings on the campus, is being planned for the corner of East Pleasant Street and Tillson Farm Road... |
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July 22, 2008 - An architectural and engineering firm with an office in Boston has begun evaluating historical buildings at the University of Massachusetts... |
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July 19, 2008 - State lawmakers are seeking to strip the University of Massachusetts Building Authority of some of its exemptions from the state's bidding laws, asserting that campus construction should be subject to the same regulations as other public projects... |
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July 16, 2008 - Officials at the University of Massachusetts want the new $12.5 million police station to meet high environmental standards... |
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July 16, 2008 - UMass has lights and new turf for McGuirk Alumni Stadium, plus many other athletic improvements... |
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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. |
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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... |
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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... |
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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... |
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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 |
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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... |
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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... |
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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... |
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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... |
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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 |
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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... |
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May 14, 2007 - Editorials comment on capital investment needs at UMass Amherst. |
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May 10, 2007 - The Learning Commons and renovations increase foot traffic at the W.E.B. Du Bois Library. |
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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: |
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